Stormy Nights
by Angeldust1
Summary: Clark's powers are taken from him...and transferred to someone close to him. Lives are permanently changed and relationships are put to the ultimate test. I don't own any of the characters.
1. Default Chapter

Title: Stormy Nights

Rating: G, for now.

Summary: In one heartbeat, two lives are changed drastically...and friendships are tested. 

Disclaimer: I don't own Smallville or the characters. Duh. 

CHAPTER 1

The darkness was heavy with the smell of rain, freshly fallen. It was as if the actual atmosphere glistened with crystal drops of liquid, as if it were a masterpiece that had been achieved in one moment. Thunder rumbled threateningly in the distance, gone, but not forgotten. Through the thick clouds that covered the stars that struggled to be seen, the crescent moon shone dimly. It was a night of darkness, a night where no light shone.

In Smallville High, Chloe Sullivan worked vigorously at her computer. As Editor of the Torch, the school newspaper, she had dedicated all free time to the issues and problems that involved the teenagers of Smallville. She never ceased to write, report, and occasionally uncover the secrets people had kept since the day the meteors had come 13 years ago. It seemed like forever, yet the effects were still being seen everyday.

She had crowned herself the force of truth in Smallville, one of few who knew that the sleepy little town wasn't what it seemed. She had reason to believe that Lionel Luthor himself had somewhat of an idea about what went on within Smallville, yet he was just as responsible for the conspiracy as everyone else was. She wouldn't be surprised if Lex had known all along also. It wouldn't surprise her one bit. The Luthors were known for their shady dealings, and no matter what Clark claimed about Lex, she couldn't look past what had been done to the people of Smallville in the name of business. 

Chloe paused in her typing as the rain began to fall again, harder than before. It drummed the roof of the building quickly, almost as if it were singing it's own song to anyone that would listen. The cloudy day had given way to a rainy night, and it wasn't expected to let up for another few days. 

She hated rainy days. 

Many of her acquaintances might say that her personality matched stormy weather perfectly. Her sarcastic nature and darker hobbies tended to weird people out. Still, she wasn't all made up of conspiracies and biting comments. Her closer friends knew that. Pete and Clark knew that.

Clark. She glanced behind her to study the clock that hung on the wall. He was supposed to meet her in the office soon. She had told him that she needed his help on her new article she was writing about the football team. Of course, that was only part of the truth. She just wanted to see him. As much as she hated to admit it to herself, she still had a thing for her best friend. 

It didn't seem to make a difference that he liked Lana instead, that he had unintentionally hurt her a number of times to be with the raven-haired cheerleader (or ex-cheerleader). No matter how much she wanted to yell and scream her feelings to him, she continued to quietly wish that she were in Lana's place. She continued to dream about their non-relationship. But she wouldn't tell Clark that in a million years. That would show a vulnerable side to her cool exterior. And while Pete had long ago discovered her secret crush, the two never talked about it, much to Chloe's benefit. A "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy had been adopted among the two friends.

The sound of the door swinging open halted her thoughts, and Chloe stood and turned to see Clark stride into the office, wearily running a hand through his soaking wet hair. It hung in ebony waves and water dripped freely onto the floor. His jacket had absorbed much of the water, and he peeled it off quickly. Underneath, his sweater showed signs of dampness.

"It's raining." he stated, with one of his trademark smiles.

Chloe giggled a bit at his appearance, "I noticed." 

He approached her slowly, and she found herself standing face-to-chest with him, "So how far have you gotten on the article?" he asked as he pulled up a chair.

Chloe took her cue and plopped into her vacated seat, "Not very. For some strange reason, I can't seem to find football interesting."

"Color me surprised." he let out a quiet chuckle, and Chloe smiled a little herself.

They paused as a clap of thunder, this time much closer than the last, rumbled above them. It seemed as if the storm was settling right above Smallville. 

"I hate storms," Clark muttered beside her, and Chloe glanced at him quizzically.

"Are you telling me you're actually afraid of something, Clark Kent?" she asked, grinning again. She did that often around Clark. 

He shrugged self-consciously, "Not really afraid...," he trailed off, and she nodded understandingly. She knew it was a guy thing.

At that moment, the room was flooded with a bright, hot light. Chloe shielded her eyes from the flash that lasted only a second, and jumped a bit as the thunder followed it. The storm was worsening, and it seemed to be right above them now.

The electric blinked, then was lost, and they were enshrouded in darkness. Chloe clutched for Clark and didn't relax until she felt his shirt-sleeve under her hand. She felt him move a little closer to her, and she couldn't help but do the same.

They were quiet for a few moments. All that could be heard was the rain, still beating endlessly on the roof of the school. 

"Clark?" she asked, still grasping his arm.

He moved a bit, "Yeah?" 

"Do you think we should just leave the article for tomorrow?" she asked, not really relishing the thought of staying in the school while Mother Nature raged around them.

"I think that would be a good idea." 

She nodded, more to herself than Clark, and stood slowly, groping for her coat in the complete darkness. She expected the back-up generators to kick in, but they hadn't yet.

"Of course not," she muttered, "that would be too easy."

"What?"

"Nothing." she answered.

Another flash of lightning engulfed them in a dazzling light, and she caught a glimpse of Clark, still wet, beside her. The small frame in which she could see him allowed her to relax a little, and she released her death grip on his arm.

"Sorry about that." she said with a nervous laugh. 

She felt his hand on her shoulder, "No problem."

As one, they moved toward the door slowly. It wasn't until they were in the hallway of the school that they both calmed down a bit. Chloe knew where she was going now. There weren't any pesky desks or computers in their way to hinder their journey.

"You want me to drive you home?" Clark asked as they made their way to the front door.

Chloe smiled graciously, then frowned when she realized he couldn't see her, "Thanks, but I drove." She wished she hadn't. It looked as if the going would be slow with how hard it was raining.

The two teenagers stepped outside into the maelstrom, and Chloe was immediately whipped to the side by the strong wind that blew across campus. She grabbed onto Clark again for support, who strangely didn't seem to be affected by the winds. The rain pelted against them, and she felt the dampness through her jacket. She knew she was already soaking wet and that they had been outside for only seconds. 

"Where's your truck?" she asked him, struggling to be heard through the wind.

She watched him jerk his head in the general direction ahead of them, and she took his word for it. She could find her car later. Together, they trudged through Mother Nature, not speaking, just trying to move forward. Chloe couldn't remember being in a storm so severe.

Their slow going was halted when a huge flash of lightning blinded them both, and Chloe could do nothing but close her eyes and hold onto Clark as the streak of electricity seemed to bear down on them. her heart jumped with the fear that they had just unintentionally stepped into the face of danger. 

Chloe felt her whole body spasm uncontrollably as the white-hot heat traveled through her. The pain was excruciating, and she screamed, agonized. It felt as if every fiber of her body was being torn apart by the energy. She felt Clark beside her, through the pain, but she could do nothing, just shake wildly as thousands of volts of electricity traveled through her. 

Then, the pain was gone, and she felt herself falling. Chloe could do nothing, just fade into darkness, as she felt herself connect with the ground.

And then, blackness.

***

Rain.

That was the first thing she felt. Rain, drizzling lazily, as she began to regain consciousness. It seemed as if the storm had let up a bit. But there was no telling how long she'd been out.

Then, Chloe felt the hard cement beneath her, the wetness soaking into her back. 

And after that, the splitting headache. It throbbed from her temples to her feet with such vigor that she found it hard to breathe. She had a feeling she had gotten a concussion during the fall. Moaning audibly, she opened her eyes, only to wince as the pain in her head was upgraded to an 8 on the Richter Scale.

"Oh God," she whispered painfully. What had happened?

They had been in the Torch when the lights had gone out. And they had...they.

*Clark!* 

Chloe sat up with a start, trying to ignore the wave of dizziness that enveloped her with the movement. Frantically, she searched for her best friend, and gasped when she spotted him lying, prone, on the ground ten feet from where she had woken up. Through the darkness and the rain she could clearly see the scratches and bruises that adorned his handsome face.

*Oh God...*

She rose unsteadily, swaying a bit. After a few moments, she was able to stand upright without worrying about falling over. The rain and wetness was forgotten as she made her way to Clark, who hadn't stirred. With each slow step, her heart pumped faster with the fear for him. What if he was...?

"No," she muttered, swallowing down a whimper as she took another step and jarred her pounding head.

She couldn't think like that. He couldn't be dead. He was Clark. 

She dropped to her knees as she reached his body, "Clark," she moaned plaintively, "please, wake up." 

He didn't stir. 

*Oh God Oh God Oh God....*

What was she supposed to do?

She put a hand on his chest and let out a sigh of relief as she felt it move up and down beneath her fingertips. He was breathing, at least. 

"Clark?" she asked again, a little louder. 

Her cry was mangled by a sob that escaped her throat, and Chloe began to cry. Her tears mingled with the moisture on her face, and she felt strangely relieved that one would not be able to tell that she had been crying. Of course, it didn't matter. Her best friend was lying beside her, unconscious. Crying and dignity took a backseat at the moment. 

"Please wake up," she pleaded. 

She wasn't ready to lose him. She couldn't.


	2. Revelations

Title: Stormy Nights

Rating: G, for now.

Summary: In one heartbeat, two lives are changed drastically...and friendships are tested. 

Disclaimer: I don't own Smallville or the characters. Duh. 

CHAPTER 2

Clark heard the voice first. Plaintive and small, it echoed through his aching head. The sound was enough to rouse him, yet it only made the throbbing in his temples worse.

Slowly, he wrenched his eyes open, only to gasp as the white-hot pain shot through his body from the movement. Still, he didn't slip back into unconsciousness. Instead, he squinted his eyes against the drizzle that drummed on the cement underneath him and attempted to focus on the figure above him.

Blonde hair, blue eyes...soaked to the bone. And crying.

"Chloe?" he groaned painfully. His head protested against the gesture, and he was forced to shut his eyes against the pounding in his head.

When he opened them again, she was closer to his face, almost inches above him, "Clark? Oh God, you're okay!"

*I'm okay...*

But he wasn't. 

As Clark lay there, he felt as if every part of his body screamed for attention. His right arm ached profusely, no doubt from the way he had landed. And his legs felt as if they would never be able to support him again...

But that was impossible.

*What's wrong with me?* 

The hit from the lightning would've been a jolt, but Clark never should have even lost consciousness. His powers prevented him from doing so. 

Breathing heavily from the pain that ricocheted through his entire body, Clark struggled to sit up. 

"Don't do that. You need to stay down." Chloe told him gently as she pushed his chest lightly. 

Clark complied, but he didn't want to, "Oh God," he mumbled, suddenly realizing what had occurred. She was pushing him down with one hand, a feat that had never been done. And the worst thing was, he didn't seem strong enough to fight against the gentle pressure.

"Chloe...," he didn't know what to do. What to say. How could you tell your best friend that she now possessed the powers that had belonged to you? 

"I'll get help," she told him as she rose slowly. As he watched, she swayed unsteadily, yet remained standing. Not one bruise or scratch marred her face. He, on the other hand, could feel the blood from the numerous cuts on his face and arms mingling with the drizzling rain. 

"No, wait!" he pleaded weakly.

She seemed to pause.

"Get my Mom and Dad first. Please." he begged her. They could not go to a hospital, no matter what. Someone would find out, and Chloe would be the one to suffer for it. 

"Clark...,"

"Just do that for me, okay?" he asked her as he again fought to sit up. 

The movement sent waves of pain through his body, yet Clark found enough strength to roll onto his side and lift himself up a bit with his left arm. His right arm had lost all feeling a few minutes ago. 

Chloe watched him for a few seconds, no doubt contemplating what to do. Surely she would realize what it meant to him. 

After a few moments, she nodded hesitantly, "Okay."

Clark let out a whoosh of breath he'd been unconsciously holding. 

*Thank God*

"But we have to get inside first."

"Uh...," and just how would they go about it?

She kneeled beside him, and Clark watched her bite her lip thoughtfully, "I can't move you...you're too heavy." 

"I can't move myself, Chloe," he admitted, though reluctantly.

She ran a hand through her wet hair, frustrated. Clark wished he could help her, but it was all he could do to simply raise up on one elbow. 

"You, uh, you may be stronger than you think," he told her hesitantly. 

At that, Chloe snorted, yet it was a humorless laugh, "Yeah right, Clark. You're, what? Six foot three? At least a hundred and seventy pounds?"

"Just-just try," he managed to say before he fell back onto his side helplessly. God, but it hurt to move! How could people live like this, so fragile? Not even Eric's foray into the dark side had left him feeling this horrible. 

She sighed and then sniffled, and Clark resisted the urge to pull her closer to him. Of course, he couldn't. It was she who was the stronger one now, strangely enough. 

"Well, no harm in trying." he could tell that she was scared out of her mind, but she coolly held the fear back.

Cautiously, she grabbed him under the arms, and he bit his lip as his right arm throbbed at the movement, "That's it." he told her.

"You have to help me Clark," she told him.

He only nodded, preparing himself for the pain that would no doubt wash over him.

"Okay," she muttered, trying to gather strength she wouldn't need, "on three, I'll lift, and you try to at least get your feet under you. One...two...three!" he felt her pull on his arms, and he took that as his cue to attempt to stand. 

As much as he wished his legs would work with him, they wouldn't, and Clark could only stay as limp as a rag doll. A wave of dizziness overtook him, and he felt himself crumple. But he stayed right side up. Chloe had discovered that she could lift him.

"That's good Clark," she said soothingly, and he almost laughed if not for the extreme pain that he was in. She thought that he was helping her. She didn't even realize that he was too weak to hold himself up.

After a few moments, he was moving, his feet dragging the ground. Clark held back a groan as his hurt arm was jarred awkwardly with each step that Chloe took. Her grip tightened slightly, causing him even more pain, yet he didn't say anything. 

For endless minutes, there was nothing but the rain and their journey back into the school. Neither said one word, Clark because he was in too much pain to do so and Chloe because she was busy supporting his weight. He found himself slipping into unconsciousness again, and Clark fought against the impending darkness as they moved. The torture on his body was proving too much, and he had no choice but to close his eyes, suddenly very tired.

"Clark? Clark!" it was Chloe, telling him to wake up. 

Pulling himself from the depths of unconsciousness, he opened his eyes to see that they had made it into the school. The rain, though lighter, still beat endlessly against the roof of the high school. Clark felt himself gently being lowered to the floor. 

Above him, Chloe paced nervously, and he could see the confusion emanating from her blue eyes, "Chloe?" he asked softly.

"How did I do that Clark?" she asked him, her voice trembling a bit, "not even adrenaline could do that." 

He tried to smile weakly, "Maybe-,"

"No," she stopped him, "something isn't right here." 

Clark felt his heart skip a beat. She had to know what had happened. There was no telling how long the switch would be in effect, or if he would ever get his powers back. Stupid lightning. It seemed as if he was a magnet for it, even when meteor rocks weren't in sight. 

"Look at me, Clark," she pointed at her face, "not one cut or bruise, and as I recall, I hit the ground pretty hard."

"You might have landed just right." he answered, grasping for straws.

She shook her head doubtfully, "No. Something happened to me. I could - I could lift you, Clark. I weigh a hundred and fifteen pounds."

"Chloe," he sighed as he shifted position on the floor, yet he didn't say anything more. He didn't know how to. 

"I'm gonna find a phone and call your parents. Then we'll go from there." she told him, her voice strangely subdued. 

He nodded as she disappeared down the hallway into the darkness. 

Left alone, Clark bit his lip as he pushed himself up onto his elbow again. He hated being so vulnerable, so weak. It wasn't a role he was used to. After pausing to catch his breath, Clark pushed himself up a bit more, until he was putting all of his weight on his fully extended left arm. The effort was enough to drain him of all his energy, yet Clark struggled against wanting to fall back onto the floor. 

A pair of hands supported him on his back, and Clark jerked, startled.

"Sorry," it was Chloe, "your parents are on their way."

He nodded as he finally rose to a sitting position, compliments of Chloe, "Did you tell them what happened?"

"Just that there had been an accident, and that you told me to get a hold of them first." she answered as she sat down beside him.

Clark drew in a slow breath, willing the pain from his right arm to fade away. His legs had a bit more feeling, leaving him more relieved than he allowed himself to show.

Chloe turned to look at him quizzically, and Clark squirmed under her gaze, "Clark, what's going on?" 

"I really don't know, Chloe." he answered. It was mostly the truth. He really didn't know what had happened or how they would return to normal. 

She sighed, but didn't press further, "Do you think your arm's broken?" 

"I don't know," he was afraid to move it, for fear that he would only make it worse, "its' worse in the shoulder."

Chloe touched his arm gingerly and gave him a look of apology as he hissed. He watched as she narrowed her blue eyes worriedly. He could feel her concern radiating from her in waves. 

It was then that Chloe did something he never thought she would be able to figure out. As Clark studied her face, she seemed to lock her gaze on his shoulder curiously. It was nothing but an observation, something she was doing to see just how hurt he was. Clark remembered how she had taken a first aid course a few summers ago, which included dressings and medicine in the field. Her keen, watchful gaze melted into one of pure terror, however, and her mouth dropped open. Chloe's blue eyes had widened until they were the sizes of dinner plates, and he heard a small squeak escape her throat.

*Oh God*

"Uh, Chloe?" he knew what was happening, what she was seeing, and he remembered how freaked out he had been when it had first happened to him. The x-ray vision was one of Clark's stranger powers.

*Great. She gets that one first.*

"Chloe!" he yelled her name, and the sound echoed down the deserted hallway. 

She jerked upon hearing her name, and as he watched, she drew her gaze up to his own. Her eyes were nothing but fear and shock, "Clark-,"

"Chloe, whatever happened-," he didn't know what to do, just calm her down. Or attempt to.

She rubbed her eyes, as if the gesture would cause everything that had happened in the last half hour to disappear, "I just saw through you!" her voice rose to fever pitch.

"How-?"

"God, Clark, I don't know! But I did," she was visibly trembling, "I saw through your arm. I saw your bones and muscles." 

Clark watched as she shuddered violently, "Chloe-," he tried again.

"Just shut up!" she screamed, shocking him into silence, "what's-what's wrong with me?" she asked him again. This time, her voice broke, and a tear fell down her still damp cheek.

Fighting against the pain in his arm, Clark shifted closer to her. He knew that she would have to know. Everything about him would be revealed, and Clark could only hope that she would take the new information better than Pete had. 

Then again, Pete hadn't gotten stuck with his abilities.

Clark drew in a breath, "Chloe, I know what's wrong with you." 

That sentence caught her attention, and she halted her muttering to listen.

determined, Clark plunged forward and told her everything.


	3. Ignorance Is Bliss

Rating: a slight change... PG13 for the language.

Author's Note: I know it's a short chapter, so bear with me! And thanks for all the reviews!

CHAPTER 3

As the rain continued to fall, Chloe and Clark sat in silence and darkness, not speaking. What could be said? Chloe had just been told that her best friend, the best friend she'd had a crush on for years, was an...was an alien.

How could she respond to something like that? How could anybody?

Chloe had never even known. Sure, she'd seen him do some pretty amazing things, and he had always been in the right places at the right times, but she had chalked that up to him just being Clark. An honest guy who could surprise his friends. A lot.

But no. All this time, he'd been an alien. The adrenaline rushes? His "super" strength. The ability to find things no one else could ever discover? His x-ray vision. And only he knew how many other things he could do. As of yet, he hadn't told Chloe exactly what those powers were. Maybe he was afraid to. She was already having enough trouble dealing with what had happened. There was no way to tell how much more she could absorb.

Clark drew in a sharp breath, and Chloe turned to him, "Chloe...," he started, his voice weak and pleading.

She held up a hand to stop him. She didn't want to talk, not then. She couldn't. Instead, she gazed at him, taking note of the regret in his eyes.

Those eyes. She had often found herself wondering just what colors he possessed within those orbs. Grey and green seemed to be what made up the swirl of colors, but she had occasionally glimpsed blue and brown while staring upward and locking gazes with him. 

But now...

She couldn't even meet his stare. 

She knew he was watching her, concerned, but Chloe couldn't find the strength (how ironic) to look at him. She just couldn't believe that Clark...wasn't Clark.

The rain continued to drum against the school, and Chloe was beginning to find the silence unbearable. 

"Chloe...," and she supposed he felt the same, "I know you're probably upset."

That was it. His attempt at condolences. His attempt to calm her to the fact that he wasn't human, that he'd been hiding it for years and years.

"Probably?" she asked him, barely containing the rage in her voice, "probably? Clark, I just found out that I possess powers that belong to my best friend from another fucking planet!"

He flinched at her use of words, and she felt a small pinch of regret. Still, she continued, a force within herself.

"And you couldn't tell me?" she asked him accusingly.

He sighed, "Chloe, you know I couldn't."

"Whatever, Clark," she spat out, "I'm just a little upset that you've been hiding this from me for years."

She had a right to be angry. Everything about him had been lie. She didn't even know if she could ever trust him again.

"I'm-,"

Chloe cut him off, "And not only me, but Pete! Your two best friends." she turned to look at him, and he shifted uncomfortably.

"Um...well, actually, Pete knows." 

Chloe froze, unable to speak. 

Pete knew.

It was then that she was hit with such a rush of anger and hurt that she couldn't help but begin to cry. He hadn't told her. He hadn't planned on telling her. And she couldn't help but think that if the lightning strike hadn't happened, he never would've told her. 

It was obvious that Clark didn't trust her.

"I see," she whispered, heartbroken. So that had been what had brought them apart. Not Lana. Not Lex. Clark's secrets. That had been the rift between them. And the fact that he had never meant to tell her caused the chasm to grow larger. In a way, Chloe felt as if she were slipping even farther away from the only constant in her life with every second that passed. 

She watched as he winced painfully, "I wasn't going to tell Pete. He stumbled across...across my spaceship."

Chloe would have laughed out loud if their situation wasn't so dire, "Your spaceship." 

He nodded, but didn't say anything.

"Okay," Chloe tried to smile, but she could only stretch her mouth into a thin line, "So what else do you do?" She had a right to know, after all. 

Clark hesitated, and she sighed, "Now that I have these...powers, I have to know what I can and can't do, Clark."

He nodded, "I know," he paused, "well, I have...heat vision."

"Heat vision?" every sentence that came out of his mouth was weirder than the last. 

"Yeah. You just concentrate on whatever's in front of you, and it happens."

He waited for her to say something, but Chloe simply nodded, afraid of what she would say if she opened her mouth again.

Clark frowned thoughtfully, "I, ah, have super-speed, I guess you call it."

Something clicked in Chloe's mind, "You mean that's how you got to school every time you missed the bus?" 

He chuckled, but the sound was cut off by a groan, "Yeah," he rubbed his injured shoulder gently, "that's how I made it to school." 

They fell silent for a few moments, both unsure of what to say. Chloe was still feeling the sting from the discovery of Clark's secret, but the fear of the unknown was also beginning to take hold of her mind. How was she ever going to get used to the powers she possessed? Would she ever be back to normal? 

"Chloe, I'm sorry about not telling you," Clark started, "and I just hope that-,"

She held up a hand to stop his words, "I know you probably kept it from me for a lot of reasons, and I understand that," she sighed wearily, "but you should've told me a long time ago. I'm your best friend, Clark." the last words were said quietly, almost too softly for Chloe to hear herself.

"I know," he answered.

Chloe frowned, "No, you don't know," she stood up and began pacing nervously. It felt as if every nerve in her body were about to explode, she was so anxious, "and it's not okay between us, Clark." 

"Chloe-,"

"It may never be." she finished. 

Clark looked as if he wished to say something, but she turned away from him, almost afraid to look at him. She heard him sigh heavily behind her, and she allowed a tear to slip down her cheek.

Things would never be okay between them. 


	4. Conflicts

CHAPTER 4

Clark slept late the morning after the thunderstorm. Always up by 7:00 am, he had not been able to rise and shine. His shoulder, which his dad had put back into place, much to his son's agony, kept Clark awake for much of the night anyway. 

And there was Chloe. Thoughts of her had kept his mind too full.

She had refused the Kents' help when they had arrived. Instead, she had driven home herself, despite Clark's protests. He had been worried that she wouldn't make it home. 

But she had told him that she would. And then, as a parting shot, she had said that it didn't really matter what happened to her, that she had no reason to worry, and neither did Clark. 

The ride home had gone in silence. Clark hadn't really cared to talk about what happened, and his parents knew better than to ask. Even his father hadn't said a word.

Now, as Clark lay in his bed, barely able to move, he could only think of what Chloe was doing, if she was thinking of him. Or was she in denial about what had happened?

"Clark?" his mother's voice floated up from the kitchen, full of hopeful caution, "do you want some breakfast?"

Breakfast? 

It sounded inviting, but he was so sore..., "Uh...I'm not hungry, mom." Clark called in return, his voice strained.

There was no answer, and Clark rolled his eyes.

*3..2...1*

"Are you sure?" 

And his mom was standing there in his doorway, her face a picture of motherly concern. 

Clark tried to smile, but could only stretch his mouth in a thin line, "I can't really move, mom."

"Oh," she took a few steps toward him, "alright. Well, I'll bring it up to you." 

Clark only nodded as he turned his head to gaze out the window. His dad was probably outside getting started on the daily chores. No doubt wishing that Clark was with him. 

But the way things were going, Clark wouldn't be able to walk naturally for a few days.

*Stupid lightning*

Again, his thoughts turned to Chloe.

*****

Chloe had been sitting on her bed for the last hour. Still in her pajamas, she hadn't moved from the spot she had chosen when she had woken up. She felt as if she would break something if she even stood up.

Her alarm clock was a reminder of her newfound strength. It lay in fuzzy pink pieces around her room from when she had brought her hand down to turn off the alarm. She had been planning on rising early to get some things done at the Torch, but she felt that recent events took top priority for the day.

Or week. Or a month, however long it took for her to figure out how to give Clark his powers back.

Clark. That name just sent a wave of nausea through her. As much as she wished it were, last night had not been a dream. It had been all too real. And she didn't know if she could ever face Clark again. Then again, she supposed she would have to see him. His powers were a part of him. Or had been. 

Slowly, Chloe stood up and headed to her closet to search for an outfit to wear. Despite what her gut was telling her, she needed to do something. She grabbed for a black tank top, then groaned when she inadvertently tore it in half.

"Oh God." she felt as if she was about to have a breakdown. She couldn't touch anything without breaking or tearing it. 

*How did Clark ever learn to deal with this?*

Chloe attempted to take another shirt from the closet, but all she came back with was a broken hanger and two jagged pieces of a sky-blue baby tee, "Dammit!" 

Furious with herself, she simply sat on the floor of her room and put her face in her hands. Bone-wracking sobs soon followed, and it was all Chloe could do to stay upright as she cried. The tears were witness to the emotional whirl-pool she had been thrown into the night before, and she had no idea if she would ever be able to figure out where she belonged in the scheme of things with such powers. Would she have to become what Clark had been? The hero? 

She didn't know if she would ever be able to handle such responsibilities. 

*****

"You mean to tell me that she has everything?" Pete asked Clark disbelievingly as he helped his formerly powerful friend to a sitting position.

Clark nodded, "Yeah," he grimaced painfully.

Pete couldn't believe it. Chloe? His Chloe? With superpowers? "How did she take it?"

"Not well, to put it mildly," Clark sighed, "she would barely talk to me, and I don't think she'll want to see me for awhile." 

Pete had a feeling that Chloe felt the harsh reality of betrayal from not only Clark, but himself. They had both held the secret from her, and so they both had to handle the consequences. His and Chloe's friendship had taken a hard hit, and it wouldn't recover easily.

"Ah, man." Pete could only shake his head. 

Poor Chloe. 

"And the worst part is, I can't help but be worried that she won't be able to handle the...responsibilities."

Pete frowned, "You mean the hero stuff." Or heroine stuff. He supposed that a few grammatical adjustments would have to be made now.

"Yeah," he shifted a bit, "I mean, now that she's got the powers, does that mean she'll be the rescuer?"

"And you the rescuee." Pete added. That scared him to think that such responsibilities had been put onto Chloe's narrow shoulders.

Clark nodded, "Am I wrong to think that?"

Pete shook his head, "I don't think so, but Chloe's adjustment to what happened has to be top priority right now," he paused as an image of Clark, lying prone next to a glowing green meteor rock, entered his mind, "and she has to know the downside." 

"Yeah."

Pete cocked his head toward the phone that was on Clark's bedside table, "I vote we get her over here for a long talk."

He watched as Clark's eyes quickly widened, and Pete thought he caught a hint of anxiety, "I don't know."

Sometimes, Pete found Clark so unbelievingly emotionally passive that he couldn't help but think that he had some female alien genes, and he told his friend so. Clark only responded with a frown, but the point had obviously gotten across. It had been settled.

"Do you want to call her, or should I?" Pete asked.

*****

Three hours later, after a tearful phone call and several more attempts to get dressed, Chloe found herself standing on the front porch of the Kent household. Her finger stayed poised over the doorbell as she debated on whether to turn around and go back home. She had already yelled and screamed at both Pete and Clark enough for one day over the telephone. Chloe didn't know if she had enough strength in her to face them. 

Just as she turned away towards her car, the door opened to reveal a very stiff Clark. Behind him stood Pete, his kind features twisted into complete concern. They had obviously been expecting her.

"Hey Chloe," Clark tried weakly as he rubbed his shoulder absentmindedly.

She didn't answer his greeting. Instead, she turned away from him and dropped her things onto the floor. Chloe wasn't quite ready to acknowledge them as friends just yet. She had been betrayed, after all.

"Okay," Pete muttered as he took a step toward her.

Automatically, she backed away from his gesture, "Don't touch me." she attempted to sound firm, but her sentence only came out as a plea. She didn't want to admit it, but she was afraid she would hurt them if she made contact with either of her friends. Her steering wheel had several huge dents in it from the drive. There was no way to tell what she could do to them if she touched them.

Not that it would be such a bad thing after what had happened.

Immediately, Chloe scolded herself for her thought. She was much stronger now, and with Clark's powers she had realized that she had responsibilities that extended far beyond that of editor of the Torch. Even if she didn't ask for the job. It was something that had been put upon her.

She watched as a flash of pain was seen on Pete's face, and Chloe immediately felt guilty for what she had said. Nervously, she swallowed, "Sorry," she mumbled as she took her jacket off, "um, I just want you both to know that I came here so you could show me how to control myself. There will be no small talk, and no attempts at forgiveness."

"But-," Clark tried.

"Because, honestly, I don't think you deserve it just yet." she finished.

Chloe's words hit home. Both Clark and Pete looked down, afraid to meet her eyes. 

The silence stretched for what seemed like eternity before Chloe shifted her weight anxiously, "Where do we start?"

"Where do you want to start?" Clark asked, his eyes two pools of uncertainty about where he stood with her.

She thought a moment. The speed, maybe. Or the x-ray vision..., "How about you tell me how to touch what I want without destroying it?"

Clark nodded, "Fair enough."

Chloe led the way to the barn, where Clark's Fortress of Solitude was. Chloe had a feeling that he had discovered many of his powers and learned to control them in that hideaway. 

When they were standing in the loft, Clark grabbed a CD from a small table, "Okay. Just concentrate on being as gentle as possible. Don't even think about holding it."

"Okay," Chloe held her hand out, and he placed the disc in her outstretched hand. When it didn't break, she couldn't help but grin proudly.

Clark nodded, and she saw him smile a little out of the corner of her eye, "Good. Now, hold it with your other hand."

She did as he told, but the case cracked into several pieces at the pressure she unconsciously exerted. Frustrated, she dropped the destroyed disc and shrugged apologetically, "Guess it wasn't as easy as you thought it would be."

"It's okay," Clark told her as he picked up another CD, "I grew up with it, so I was used to it. You've just got to learn."

"You realize that you're not gonna have a collection left before I learn, don't you?" Chloe asked miserably. She hated this. She hated having to relearn how to hold and touch things. It was like she was three again.

"Try again," Clark encouraged.

Sighing heavily, she opened her hand out again. She was amazed at how much strength she contained in her long, lithe fingers. It was a strange feeling. The CD was put onto her palm again, and Chloe held it there a few moments. With a small nod from Clark, she concentrated on the small, flat object as she grabbed it gently with her left hand. This time, the plastic case didn't break, and she looked up at Clark to see his reaction.

He was smiling.

*****

Thirty minutes later, the three were standing in one of the many pastures the Kents owned. After a few more tries with several different objects, Chloe had finally gotten the hang of her strength. 

Now would come the hard part. 

As Clark watched Chloe pace furiously in front of them, the unease radiating from her in waves, he couldn't help but wonder if she would ever be herself again. Would they be able to switch back?

If not, Clark was afraid that the Chloe they knew would be lost for good. Usually so outgoing and bubbly, her replacement was nothing but bitter and cold toward Pete and himself. 

Then again, how could Clark blame her?

"Okay, so what now?" she asked, startling Clark from his reverie.

He looked at Pete, who just shrugged, "Uh, I guess I can teach you how to run." 

She nodded, "Okay."  


Clark tried to smile, but he only received an expectant stare in return, "Uh, this is one of the easiest things to learn. It's just like running. Just concentrate on moving your feet as fast as you want, and you'll go."

Chloe frowned as she looked toward the distance, "When will I know to stop?" 

"It'll be just like your walking. You'll be able to see where you're going."

"Just like that, huh?" she asked skeptically.

All Clark could do was nod. That was all there was to it, "Yeah."

Chloe turned away from them and shielded her eyes from the afternoon sun. Clark didn't say anything. He didn't dare to.

Finally, after what seemed like years, Chloe took off at a slow jog, as if testing herself. Clark glanced at Pete, who's eyes were fixed on her. It was when they were both beginning to wonder if she would attempt to go any faster when Chloe's figure burst from their vision, a blur of blonde and pink. She disappeared over the horizon, and Clark watched until he couldn't see her anymore.

"Wow," Pete breathed beside him.

Clark could only nod. To see her do something he'd done for years was strange, and Clark couldn't help but wonder if he looked that amazing when he ran that fast. 

Then, in a flash, Chloe was standing in front of them, grinning from ear to ear and her hair wild, "That was awesome," she told them as she tried to tame her mane.

Clark noticed that she hadn't even broken a sweat, "See? Easy."

"Yeah," she turned toward him, but her smile disappeared as soon as her eyes met his, "so, anything else?"

Clark couldn't help but raise an eyebrow quizzically at his petite friend, "There's a lot more ground to cover." 

"Well, I'm ready." she answered shortly, emphasizing that she wasn't afraid anymore. 

Still, despite her words, Clark could see the fear in Chloe's blue eyes. It was subtle, and easily hidden, but she couldn't hide it from her best friends. 

Clark sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that day, "Okay." his shoulder pulled the wrong way, and he clenched his teeth. What he wouldn't give to have his powers back...

But he was resolved to his fate. Clark knew that he may never be himself again, but he didn't know if he felt more remorse over the fact that Chloe had received the responsibilities that came with his powers or that she knew who he was now. He supposed it was a mixture of both that left him feeling hollow and guilty. 

The sad thing was, Chloe would never trust him or Pete again, even though her two best friends would be who she needed in the weeks and months to come. 

Clark knew that she may have to face everything alone. 


	5. The Demon Within

This chapter is PG-13, for some violence and bad language...

CHAPTER 5

After several days of learning and relearning just what she could do, Chloe finally began to get a grip on her new-found powers. Despite the fact that she still felt strange in her own skin, she knew how to control the x-ray vision, heat vision, speed and strength that Clark had grown up with. 

Her relationship with him and Pete was still strained, to say the least. Chloe found herself trying to avoid them as much as possible in school and at the Talon. 

Sadly enough, she hadn't been in the Torch office for days, since that would be the first place she would go. She just wasn't ready for things to be normal, or as normal as it could get. After all, they had both betrayed her. Clark had kept her in the dark her whole life, and Pete had had no problem joining in on the secret.

Now, in history class, she sighed out loud, yet she didn't even notice the gesture. It seemed like she was doing a lot of that these days. She felt someone's eyes on her, and Chloe turned instinctively to see Clark watching her. His greenish-bluish-whateverish eyes held nothing but sympathy for her, but Chloe still couldn't help but stare daggers at him. Not too hard of a stare though, because then she would be able to see right through him. 

What a strange life she lived.

Then, Chloe couldn't help but chuckle to herself. She was Wall of Weird material now. 

*Maybe I should throw myself a congratulations party...*

Her musings were cut short by the bell, and Chloe rose to join the crush of bodies heading out into the hallway.

"Hey, uh Chloe...,"

*Oh God*

She turned and looked up at Clark, "What?"

He seemed to shrink, if that was possible, under her gaze, "I was just wanting to, uh, see how you were."

"How do you think I am?"

He looked down, "Uh...,"

Chloe back-tracked a little. Her answer had been a little unfair, "I'm...fine."

That was quite possibly the lamest thing she had ever said.

"Oh. Good," and that, she was sure, was the lamest thing Clark had ever said. 

What followed that was an awkward silence, and Chloe found herself becoming very interested with her pink sneakers. She had a feeling Clark was doing the same with either his own shoes or the ceiling. 

"Uh, well, if you need anything-," he started timidly.

"I don't need anything Clark," Chloe said abruptly as she looked up at him, "I'm fine. Really." 

He nodded and gave her a small smile. 

A tiny voice in the back of Chloe's mind told her that he didn't smile like he used to, before everything happened. Maybe it was because the Kent charm didn't seem to reach her anymore. 

Maybe it was because Chloe didn't smile like she used to.

Suddenly very depressed, Chloe backed away from Clark a few steps, afraid that if she stayed she would begin to cry, "I'll-I'll see you later, Clark."

Before he could say anything, she turned away, wishing that she could super speed down the hall. Or better yet, maybe she could just sink down into the floor. Anything to get away from those imploring eyes that pleaded with her to forgive his betrayal to her and their friendship.

Chloe felt the tears coming to her eyes, but she held them down as she turned the corner. 

She knew she couldn't go back to how things were, but what saddened her the most was that she wished things were like they used to be. She wished it with every fiber of her being. 

With a sigh, Chloe admitted to herself that she truly missed Clark more than anything she'd ever known.

*****

Lex had always believed that playing pool was a true art form. Such precision and focus...it was something that left nothing to be desired within the mind. If he were a spiritual man, he may even say it helped the soul. 

There were many a time when a good round of 8 ball would calm his frayed nerves after a run-in with his father or after a business deal went bad. A cue ball and stick replaced good old-fashioned fury any day, even though Lex knew he lacked in the anger-management department. 

He had just sent the eight-ball into the left corner pocket when he heard a voice behind him.

"Playing pool by yourself?" 

Recognizing the voice immediately, Lex grinned and turned to face Clark, "Clark. How's the shoulder?"

"Better."

"Care to join me?" 

He knew the boy was a decent player, and he didn't mind a challenge to take his thoughts off of his father's next possible move against him. in fact, Lex found that spending time with Clark relaxed him even more so than pool did. Perhaps it was due to the fact that Clark, only a freshman in high school, was his only friend in a world filled with ass-kissers and cruel moguls who would do anything to see Lex get his. 

His thoughts were halted by a noticeably loud sigh from Clark as he grabbed a pool stick from the rack.

"You seem a bit under the weather today, Clark," Lex began as he racked up the balls again, "having troubles at home?"

He shrugged much in the way a fifteen year old would, and Lex realized that he hadn't shrugged like that in over ten years. His father had always admonished him for such a gesture, saying it projected confusion and uncertainty, two feelings a Luthor should never feel much less express. 

"Chloe and I are having problems."

Lex frowned as an image of the small blonde popped into his head. The reporter who always played second fiddle to Lana, as he recalled. Being observant had always been one of Lex's strong points. Hindsight was 20/20, after all. 

"In what way?" he asked Clark.

He looked down, "In no way. Our friendship...isn't."

Intrigued, Lex paused from aiming the cue ball to glance at Clark quizzically, "What happened?"

The boy seemed to fidget, and Lex found himself predicting another answer that didn't quite satisfy Lex's curiosity, "Things."

"Ah," Lex waited for him to continue. When Clark didn't, he resumed the game, "things? I don't suppose you could be a little more specific," he sank the red, "solids."

"It's not important." 

"Oh?" It was far from unimportant, that much Lex knew.

Clark sank a stripe into a corner pocket and took aim at another, "I just don't know how to make things better."

"I'm sure you'll figure out some way to win Miss Sullivan's heart back," Lex flashed one of his smooth grins again, "and all will be right within Clark Kent's perfect world."

He snorted, "Yeah, perfect." he missed the shot.

"Speaking of perfect," Lex took aim, "how's Lana these days?"

Clark sighed again, "Better. She's still dealing with what happened to Whitney, though." 

Of course. Fordman had been killed in combat, "I can imagine." he missed the shot.

"Yeah," 

Lex glanced up at Clark, who was frowning at the pool table thoughtfully. His eyes were distant and troubled, "I'm sensing that Lana is on the back burner right now. Am I right?"

Clark met his eyes, almost shamefully, giving away what Lex thought.

*Damn I'm good.*

"It's okay Clark. Chloe's your best friend. Lana's only the girl of your dreams," the comparison ended up sounding a bit harsh, but Lex knew he was hitting a nerve, "when things aren't right with the closest of friends, things aren't right anywhere else."

"That simple, huh?"

Sometimes, Lex felt that the seven-year difference in his and Clark's ages was actually seventy years. Being around the boy left him feeling like an old man at times.

It was as if Clark didn't get enough platitudes from his father, so he turned to Lex. 

He couldn't help but smile a bit at the comparison between himself and Jonathan Kent, who let it be known he hated Lex and anything that had to do with the Luthors.

His musings were interrupted by Clark dropping his pool stick on the table, "I need to get home."

"Let me guess. Chores." Lex said as he put his own stick down and walked his friend to the door of the room.

Clark only nodded.

"Just give Chloe time," Lex told him, "whatever happened, it can't be bad enough to ruin your friendship for good."

Clark's eyes held a hint of doubt in them, but Lex didn't comment on it. Instead, he clapped his friend on the back as a farewell gesture.

Clark managed a thin smile, and then he was gone.

Lex shook his head as he stared at the place where Clark had stood moments ago. That boy never ceased to amaze him. It was as if he were a mystery within himself and to the rest of the world. 

Someday, Lex would solve the mysteries of Clark Kent, he was sure of it.

*****

Chloe had discovered over the course of the last few days that her new powers was something that she needed to protect, more than anything. her father would have to be put at a distance from her, not to mention Lana.

Lana. Thinking of the brunette caused a small stab of guilt in Chloe's mind. She had been treating the girl horribly the last few days on account of the upheaval within Chloe's life that had occurred. Chloe could vaguely remember brushing Lana's attempts at conversation away the last few evenings, when the two girls would prepare to go to sleep. She had dismissed her quite harshly.

But what else could she do? Now Chloe had a lot of...crap, to say the least, that she would have to keep from the people that lived with her. Clark had been lucky. His parents had known. But Chloe had no support system within her home. Her home was the enemy, in a strange way.

*I've been so awful to her...* 

It wasn't like the two got along perfect anyway. A certain farm boy always managed to get both girls' emotions all out of whack, and they naturally took it out on each other. But never had Chloe acted like she had the last few days to Lana. 

"So that settles it." she told herself as she buzzed about her room, doing nothing in particular. She needed to stop by the Talon and see if Lana would forgive her behavior. 

Of course, Chloe had no doubt that she would. Lana was quite possibly the most forgiving person in Smallville. But that wasn't the point. The point was that Chloe needed to tell her that she was sorry.

Then she'd perhaps have one friend in Smallville.

With that grim thought in mind, Chloe left the house and drove toward the Talon. In a way, she wished she could super-speed her way to the small coffee house, since it was by far the fastest way to reach a destination. But it would be too risky for her.

Chloe knew why Clark had always claimed he could find his own way to different things. Hell, he had probably super-sped with Chloe herself during one of her unconscious moments. There had been several times when Chloe had been in the wrong place at the wrong time, and her physical health had suffered because of it. Of course, Clark had always managed to save her, whether it be protecting her from the newest meteor-monster or getting her to the hospital. 

Now, things were different. Chloe was on her own.

*Maybe I'll break the gender barrier for superheroes...*

*****

Lana had just finished up another order when she saw Chloe come through the front door of the Talon. 

*Oh boy*

The small blonde had been downright mean to Lana the last few days, and she didn't really feel up to taking her remarks. 

Or maybe she was coming to apologize. Maybe she was going to tell her why she'd been acting so strangely. 

Or so Lana hoped.

"Can I help you?" she asked coolly as Chloe approached the counter.

Chloe seemed to hesitate, and her eyes widened a bit, "Um...we need to talk."

Lana started to refuse, but Chloe's pleading eyes told her to think otherwise. Maybe the poor girl had just been through a lot and needed to cool down. Lana had been through plenty of days like that. She could relate, even though she still didn't appreciate the way Chloe had taken it out on her.

"Yeah, we do," she answered, smiling thinly, "I can take my break now, if you want."

Chloe nodded, and they headed to a table, "Lana, I am so sorry for the way I've acted-,"

"It's okay," she didn't let Chloe finish because she didn't have to. What had happened was behind them now, and Lana knew that Chloe's behavior had been a fluke, "I know you were just going through a rough time."

The rough time was something that Lana was clueless about, and she had a feeling that Chloe wasn't going to let her in on what was going on. Still, she waited for Chloe to open up.

When Chloe didn't say anything, Lana couldn't help but sigh. People who couldn't seem to confide in others frustrated her. Maybe it was because Lana herself trusted too easily. if she could see the best in others and trust them, why couldn't anyone else?

An image of Clark popped into her mind, and Lana felt another surge of agitation. Strangely enough, Chloe seemed to be acting very...Clarkish. 

That was what had been tugging at Lana the last few days. Chloe had been reminding her of Clark. Her mysterious answers and short dismissals were uncanny to his. 

"So we're cool?" Chloe asked hopefully.

Lana nodded automatically. She hated to hurt others, even if it meant covering her own feelings. it was something that helped her to be empathetic toward others, but it had it's disadvantages.

Like pretending to be in love with someone you weren't.

*No* Lana told herself firmly as she plastered on a smile for Chloe's sake, *Don't think about Whitney...*

But he was already there, along with the Tina Greer incident. It had brought to light Whitney's death in combat, and Lana had been devastated, not to mention incredibly guilty at the fact that he had seen the video of her breaking up with him before he had gone to his death.

It seemed as if Lana's timing was always off to finally admit her true feelings and wants, so she had decided that horrible day to keep her feelings bottled within her. If her own emotions could possibly hurt others, then they weren't worth letting out into the light of day. 

Lana didn't exactly wear her heart on her sleeve to begin with, but Whitney's death had sealed the deal.

"Yeah, we're cool," she finally answered, despite the fact that she felt like falling apart inside, "uh, I better get back to work."

Chloe nodded, obviously relieved, "Okay. I don't want to hurt your business."

Lana managed a short laugh before she headed back to the counter, "See you."

"Yeah."

With that, Chloe was gone, and Lana was left alone with her thoughts.

****

Chloe felt a bit lighter as she exited the Talon. Hell, she could even smile a little now. Knowing that she and Lana were okay didn't exactly make her life happy-go-lucky again, but Chloe was comforted by the fact that at least one of her friendships hadn't crumbled into ashes since the thunderstorm incident.

*I wonder what Clark's doing now...*

Probably chores. Chloe knew him well enough that she could estimate when he was out doing...whatever with Jonathan. Then again, he'd had powers until a few days ago. She was fairly sure that his chores took a lot longer than before and left him exhausted.

Maybe Pete was with Clark, just hanging out. Maybe she would be with them, if not for the estrangement between the three of them. Just chatting, maybe researching for the Torch...

The Torch. Chloe was positive this week's issue wouldn't make it to the press. It had gone to Hell.

She wished she could just head out there and tell them that everything was okay, that she forgave them...but there was no way. Despite the fact that she missed them, she still didn't feel the same around them. 

But still...she was really feeling like something was gone...

Suddenly torn, Chloe paused in heading to her car. What to do?

A short, terrified scream came from the alley beside the Talon, and Chloe jumped. It was a girl's voice, and she sounded like she was horrified. 

Chloe looked around for anyone, but Main Street was deserted.

*I need to get help...* she thought as she turned back toward the Talon, then halted. She didn't need help, she *was* the help.

The girl screamed again, jarring Chloe from her momentary hesitation. She broke into a run, not bothering with the super speed since she was so close. She turned the corner, her heart pumping furiously from anxiety at what she would see. A murder taking place? A meteor freak?

No, the crime being committed was completely human, yet monstrous.

A tall, filthy guy with dark hair and a goatee had a petite girl backed against the side wall of the Talon. Her pretty face was scratched, and a bruise marred her right cheek. 

"Hey!" Chloe yelled as she skidded to a stop.

The guy glanced at her, his dark eyes the picture of fury, but didn't say anything. Instead, he slapped the girl across the face, "I told you not to scream, bitch!"

"Please...," the girl was sobbing now as she tried to shrink away from the guy's body.

"Leave her alone!" Chloe demanded, trying to sound more confident than she really was. She was more scared than anything.

"What are you gonna do about it, Blondie?" the guy laughed, a deep, guttural sound that sent shivers down Chloe's spine.

It was obvious he was beating up on the poor girl, and Chloe could tell he was enjoying it. 

*What a psycho*

He hit the girl again, who yelped painfully.

Suddenly incredibly angry at what he was doing, Chloe pushed her nervousness to the back of her mind. The girl needed her help, and she wasn't getting anything done by standing there.

The guy drew back his hand again, this time in a fist, and swung at the girl, who could nothing but close her eyes in preparation for the blow.

But it never came.

Before she could even register what she was doing, Chloe was there. She was *there*, beside the guy. She grabbed his arm harshly, stopping it's descent. her mind was still at the mouth of the alley, yet her body had moved faster than the eye could see.

The guy looked at her, his eyes wide and fearful, "How did you-?" his question was cut off as he screamed painfully.

*What?*

Chloe hadn't done anything. She had just grabbed his arm...

*Oh God*

She hadn't been paying attention to anything but her anger, forgetting her caution about her strength.

Chloe had subconsciously broken the guy's wrist completely, almost grinding it into dust.

Shocked and disgusted, she pulled away from him, as if she had been electrocuted. The guy fell to his knees, cradling his injured wrist and stared up at her. Never before had Chloe seen such fear in a person's eyes. He was afraid of her. 

"I'm-I'm sorry," she managed, before backing up another step.

Truthfully, the guy deserved what had happened, but Chloe was terrified at the realization that she had just inflicted harm upon another human being. Easily, and with no notice of it.

The girl, who had moved away from the both of them, broke into a run, toward the street, and was gone. There was no one in the alley besides Chloe and the guy she had injured.

"Just-just leave me alone," he gasped as he rose shakily, still holding his left wrist protectively. 

All Chloe could do was nod, completely numb. How had she let that happen? How could she have not felt his bones cracking, shattering, and finally being ground into dust? 

She looked down at her hands. They were trembling violently, just like the rest of her body. Her fingers were so small...how? 

Abruptly, she looked up, into the guy's pain-stricken eyes, "Sorry," she said again, before turning away from him, toward the mouth of the alley. She had to get away from her actions. The alley felt like it was shrinking, suffocating her, and it was all she could do to not gasp for air as she began to run. 

Really run. She super sped out of the alley, not really caring whether the guy saw her. Her powers had been given away already, destructively. She knew that she was only a blur now, yet she still felt as if everyone's eyes were on her as she ran. She felt as if everyone was accusing her, and hating her for what she had done.

As Chloe ran toward the outskirts of town, the tears began. They cascaded from her eyes and into the wind behind her, dried into the air before they even hit the ground. She couldn't stop them from coming, so she welcomed them, not because they made her feel better about what she had done, but because they made her feel more human.

Human. Chloe wasn't even that anymore.

She was sobbing now, but she didn't care. She just needed to run...

And run...

After what felt like years, and after the scenery had changed about a dozen times, Chloe knew where to go. She knew who would understand. 

Doing a complete turn-about, she headed toward the other side of the county and didn't slow until she was at the beginning of the driveway that wound up to the Kents' farm. 

*Please be home* she thought as she jogged slowly up the drive. She was mentally and physically exhausted from her one hundred mile run, and it was all Chloe could do to drag her feet along with her.

Then, she spotted him, heading out from the barn. He was struggling with a bale of hay that seemed to much for his strength, but he still didn't slow.

Until he saw her.

Chloe tried to speed up, but she only ended up slowing down. The tears were still there, and they sprung up, fresh, at the sight of him. He dropped the bale of hay and started to jog toward her, meeting her halfway.

"Clark-," she gasped between sobs, but she couldn't get anything else out.

Instead, she kept pushing toward him, stumbling the last few steps into his strong arms. She clutched him tightly, too weak to hurt him, and sobbed into his chest. She couldn't stand any longer, and she began to collapse. through the tears, she felt herself being lowered to the ground, and she realized that he had allowed himself to fall down with her. They were both sitting in the dusty driveway, she crying endlessly, he holding her, comforting her.

"Shhh...it's okay," he whispered. 

But it wasn't.

Chloe could feel him stroking her hair gently as she continued to cry. It was all she could do. She wasn't human anymore. She was a monster that could kill people with one blow, a horrible creature that didn't belong on Earth...

She pushed against his hold, and he relented, until they were staring into each other's eyes. She half-expected to see confusion, misunderstanding, or even disgust in those earnest eyes that gave the world a glimpse at Clark Kent. Instead, she saw nothing but understanding. Complete and total compensation for what she was feeling. 

He *knew*. 

Chloe began to cry again as more memories of what had happened rushed back into her mind, and Clark pulled her into him again, not asking, just allowing her to lean into his warm chest and let out all her grief, all her fears and worries.

And so they stayed, until the sun sank below the horizon and left them in darkness. 


	6. Twists In The Road

CHAPTER 6

John Thomas had never been a man of the outdoors. In fact, he hated it. The bugs, the weeds...the poison ivy... He even found the cute little bunnies and deer to be annoying. No reason, he just couldn't stand anything that couldn't walk upright and speak to him. 

"So why am I out here?" he asked himself as he ran a hand through his dirty blonde hair. 

John was standing in the middle of a field, not really sure what to do. Ever since he'd gotten the call from Mr. Luthor to meet him at a set of unknown coordinates, John had been intrigued. After all, he was a business man, a man who dealt with the underbelly of every town and city and the high society snobs such as Lionel. It was simply a matter of masking his clients from prying eyes to assure his reputation with paying customers.

Paying customers. Yeah, that was it. Whatever was needed, he would either supply or do on his own. That was why he traveled among every crowd. They had his word that he would do what the situation called for himself. 

He pulled his collar away from his neck a bit, suddenly a bit uncomfortable. The midday sun beat down on him mercilessly, yet he couldn't move. Lionel had instructed him to stay in the exact place the coordinates had specified. 

And when Lionel Luthor asked, he received. 

A whistle sounded from the woods to the right of him, and John focused on the dark patch of trees the noise had come from.

"Hello?" he called.

It was probably a bunch of dumb kids.

John heard the sound again, but louder. And from a different place. He whirled to face the brush behind him, tense. What the Hell was going on?

"What do you want?" he asked. 

It was then that Lionel stepped out from the shadows, his long dark coat fluttering in the wind that had gusted only moments ago, "Hello Mr. Thomas." he greeted as he took a few steps into the field.

John glanced at the place Lionel had stepped from out of the corner of his eye. He was no fool. A man like Lionel Luthor didn't just go anywhere he pleased without bodyguards or escorts. 

John knew numerous clients who had asked that he be killed.

His men were probably hidden around the field, in the shadows. Ready for anything that may put Lionel in jeopardy.

John's instinct to run kicked in and he had no choice but to obey. He spun away from Lionel and took a few quick steps in the opposite direction, only to have his heart sink. 

Four large men had melted from the forestry, blocking his exit. 

John pivoted, hoping to see an open escape route. He couldn't help but moan when four more henchmen appeared to him, each larger than the last. 

He was not getting away from whatever Lionel had planned for him.

Suddenly very weak, John fell to his knees as he turned to face Lionel again. The older man smiled gleefully, and it sent shivers up and down John's spine. He had been around killers, drug dealers, and organized crime in his days, but that grin was so incredibly coldhearted, so...evil, that John felt every single part of him freeze up with fear. 

He was not going home tonight.

***

Martha Kent's tea was possibly the best in Smallville, Chloe was sure of it. And while it didn't completely take all her troubles away, it was a start.

"Thanks Mrs. Kent," she smiled gratefully at the red head as she puttered around the kitchen.

Martha waved her hand nonchalantly, "No thanks needed, Chloe. I've dealt with Clark a few times to know how far a small cup of tea will go."

Beside Chloe, Clark smiled gently, but didn't say anything. His eyes had never strayed from Chloe since she had made her way, broken and emotionally battered, to the Kent farm. 

She couldn't help but squirm under his gaze, unsure of how to react. Even though she wanted him to protect her, to shield her from harm like he used to, she knew that he could do no such thing. She could take care of herself now, despite her reluctance. 

As the events of earlier had showed, she could take care of herself almost too well. 

Chloe sighed audibly at the thought of what had happened. Sure, the jerk had deserved it, but it scared the crap out of her to know that she could do such damage to a person.

"Chloe?" Clark asked quietly.

Damn. He could tell when she was brooding, "Hmmm?"

"Don't beat yourself up over what happened. Believe me, I used to every time something like that happened, and I remember feeling guilty a lot even after I realized that everything wasn't my fault," he paused, watching her, and she couldn't help but give him a small smile as he continued, "it's not worth it to dwell on things."  


Martha turned from the stove to nod at Chloe, "He's right."

"I know,"

But then again, she didn't. She couldn't just throw her worries to the wind and forget about what she had done. If she did, who was to say when it would happen again? What terrified her even more was the possibility that Clark and Pete, not to mention Lana and her father, were in harm's way. 

It was a strange feeling, being worried about others' safety, but Chloe supposed she would have to suck it up and play the part of the rescuer.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but it sure has been a hectic few days." Martha said as she moved towards the stairs, no doubt about to turn in.

Chloe could only nod. Words couldn't even begin to express what she'd been through.

Still, knowing that she and Clark had made amends comforted her, more than she was willing to admit. 

"Good night Chloe." Martha said as Clark rose to kiss his mother.

As they hugged, Chloe couldn't help but smile. Still kissing his mom goodnight... If Clark had survived with his powers, then Chloe certainly could. Especially with an alien as a best friend around to guide her through all the "growing pains" of her powers.

"Good night Mrs. Kent."

After Martha was gone, Clark and Chloe were left in silence. She didn't know what to say that hadn't already been said, and neither did he.

So, she simply asked him a question, "Where do we go from here?" 

Clark only smiled. 

***

"You see, Mr. Thomas," Lionel began as he took another step toward John, "I am a man of venture, of discovery. You of all people should know that."

John swallowed, terrified. He knew he was audibly trembling, even as he attempted to remain brave in the face of a man who had committed more monstrosities than the world needed to know, "Yes." it was all he could say in return.

Lionel chuckled, "Why so afraid, Mr. Thomas? I'm simply discussing a matter of business with you, as all legitimate businessmen do." 

"Oh God," he whispered. 

He hoped there was one, for his sake.

"I have a new...product that I wish to try, yet I find that the consumer market is nowhere near ready for it. In fact," Lionel smiled as he turned his face toward the sun, as if breathing in it's energy, "it's not ready for anything, not even my scientists."

John was getting a very bad feeling about what Lionel's new "product" was, "Then just what are you getting at?"

"I am getting to the point, Mr. Thomas," Lionel paused again, "patience, John. It is a virtue."

"Virtues don't exist anymore." John couldn't help but answer, despite the fear that was coursing through his body.

Lionel laughed, "That may be true, Mr. Thomas, but it is not the point of our meeting. The point, sir, is that I need a subject to test my newfound "potion" if you wish to use such a medieval term, and I find that you are the best candidate."

"What-what if I refuse?" John asked, running a shaking hand through his hair. 

Oh God...he was about to die.

"I don't really care," Lionel answered, "because I don't like you, Mr. Thomas. I despise such leeches as you, who cannot make a living without someone holding your hand, so to speak."

Lionel took another step towards John, yet he couldn't find himself to turn away. Instead, he stared, transfixed, into Luthor's cold, steely eyes. 

"Besides. No one will care where you've disappeared to. You're not as well liked as you like to believe," he was standing within an arm's length from John now, and he swore the temperature dropped ten degrees, "do you understand, Mr. Thomas? I'll be doing everyone a favor."

Before he could even react, Lionel lashed out. Something glinted in his hand, and a fresh stab of pain in John's arm told him that it was a syringe, filled with a strange green liquid that shimmered seductively in the sunlight. He couldn't even move, he was so stunned at what had just occurred.

"Would you like to know what has been injected into you?" Lionel asked him. After a pause, he continued, "a mixture of pure meteor rock, in it's quintessential form, along with a mild form of steroids."

"W-what?" his arm had gone numb moments ago, the feeling was beginning to spread.

Lionel chuckled as he withdrew the needle and stepped back, "It's no product, John. We just want to see what makes a meteor-infected mutant tick."

John was disgusted, "You-you're sick. What about innocent people? What do you think I'll do?"

"We have no idea. That is what makes life exciting, Mr. Thomas, the unknown." Lionel turned away from him and began striding toward the forest.

John could only collapse, every inch of his body numb to him. What the Hell was going on? Suddenly, a wave of intense fiery pain overtook him, and he screamed as his vision blurred. It was as if his entire body burning from the inside out. 

It was agony.

Another wave overtook him, and John screamed again. He was barely conscious now, and he could only pray for darkness to swallow him mercifully.

A few moments later, it did.

  



	7. A New Obstacle

Author's Note: I am so sorry about the delay. By now you guys probably know I'm not a very consistent updater. I just started college, blah, blah, blah...I know its no excuse, so I'm sorry! Thanks for staying with me! I hope to get the next chapter up soon!

CHAPTER 7

Chloe slept fitfully that night. Every time she happened to close her eyes she saw the man who's wrist she had broken in the alley behind the Talon. His huge, fear-stricken eyes bore into her through the darkness behind her eyelids, as if she were still staring into his face. She could still here that scream, choked with intense pain. Pain that she had caused. 

It wasn't the best feeling in the world.

Finally, after hours of tossing and turning to no avail, Chloe got up and began to get dressed. She knew that nothing could be done to help her sleep. 

"So, a walk." she whispered to herself as she pulled on some comfortable tennis shoes. 

Two seconds later she was walking down her driveway. She had managed to sneak out easily on account of her speed, and she was grateful for the small comfort that she hadn't woken anyone up. Chloe really didn't want to deal with Lana or her dad wondering where she was going at such a late hour, and on a school night, no less.

"Yeah right," she huffed as she turned onto the street, "school has taken a back seat."

Careful to make sure no one was lurking or out for a walk such as she was, Chloe sped down the street, not really sure where she was going. She was still drained from the events that had happened earlier, and so she didn't make an effort to break any records. There would be more time for that later.

Maybe Clark was up. 

With that thought in mind, Chloe couldn't help but smile as she made her way in the general direction of the Kent farm. She felt that they had grown incredibly close over the course of twenty four hours, and she was grateful for the small comfort. Their estrangement had been almost too much for her to bear. 

As the buildings became farther apart Chloe slowed even more, drinking in the moonlit scenery that surrounded her. The white glow enveloped everything, causing the blanket of dew that had fallen to sparkle seductively wherever she looked. It was quite possibly one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen. 

Chloe found herself wondering how she had gone for seventeen years without taking time to pause in her crazy, fast-paced life to actually look at everything. To notice things like the moonlight and the stars...

She was brought out of her pleasant reverie by a loud crash that echoed from the bushes beside the road. Startled, Chloe stumbled to a stop. Her heart jumped a bit before she realized that she had no reason to be afraid anymore.

"Hello?" she called.

Her voice was met with silence, which caused Chloe to take a few timid steps toward the dark brush. 

*Maybe its just an animal_.* _ She thought as she scanned the darkness for any signs of movement. 

At first, she saw nothing out of place. Convinced that a deer or raccoon had been rummaging for food, Chloe began to turn away. 

There! Something shifted in the corner of her eye, and Chloe whirled back to facing the bushes. Something was definitely there. 

*What the Hell?*

The dark shape looked to be much taller than Chloe herself, and at least three times as wide as her. The thing could probably give Clark a run for his money as far as tall, dark and strapping went. 

"Um, okay, this really isn't good," she whispered to herself as she backed up a few steps.

Suddenly, the thing unleashed a predatory growl, which left Chloe dumbfounded for a few seconds. 

*Its definitely not a person_. *_

Without warning, the thing crashed through the bushes and landed heavily on the road in front of her. Her heart automatically leapt to her throat as she took in its horrible features. It stood on human-like legs if not for the strange claws that extended from the huge black feet. Five razor sharp claws on each foot tapped the cement road impatiently, as if the creature had been waiting for a small, helpless human to wander by. 

*And it just had to be me. *

The thick, trunk-like legs connected with a solid, dark torso that seemed to shine with an evil glint underneath the bright moon and stars. The texture reminded Chloe of a suit of armor. Its chest was broad and muscular, leaving a sneaking suspicion in the back of her mind that the thing may have once been a human. With every breath it took, its chest rose and fell rhythmically, an accompanying action to the continuous growl that resonated from the creature. Its arms were long and lethal, with sinewy muscle rippling from its shoulders all the way down to its human-like hands. Five claws also extended from each hand, causing Chloe's heart to jump yet again.

Whatever this thing was, it was meant to kill.

"Uh...," she had no idea what to say or do. What did Clark do when he found himself in front of a big slobbering man-meteor thing?

The creature tensed and crouched, and Chloe couldn't help but freeze, awaiting the inevitable. It was no doubt about to attack.

Suddenly, the thing screeched loudly, as if announcing its presence. Before she could even put her hands over her ears to block out the high-pitched squeal that left her gritting her teeth, the thing lunged at her. Chloe couldn't help but scream herself as she put her hands up in defense. She flailed at the thing as it grabbed for her, stretched for her. 

A wave of intense nausea washed over her as the thing came within arm's reach and she held down the urge to throw up as uselessly tried to defend herself. She could feel the strength within her waning, as if it were draining out of her completely.

Maybe it was.

*Am I losing my powers?* She didn't even register the fact that she had called them her powers and not Clark's, as she had been ever since the thunderstorm a few weeks. 

Claws delved into her flesh painfully, and she whimpered even as the wounds closed themselves up. 

The thing opened its mouth and let loose another debilitating wail, yet Chloe had no choice but to absorb the sound that left explosions in her ears. She pushed against the creature with all her might, yet it only advanced. 

*What's wrong with me?* 

__

Her heart pounded in her ears as she fought to keep her balance as the thing continued to come at her. She felt its strength overcoming her own, and she briefly realized that she may die, powers or no powers.

*What would Clark do?*

She gasped as the thing leaned in closer, causing her knees to give out completely. The nausea grew more intense as she fell beneath the thing's claws, and she moaned, a mixture of both fear and pain. Never before had she felt such a sensation, as if every muscle in her body had turned to jelly. Tremors of agony coursed through her weakening body, and it was all she could do to keep the creature's claws away from her face. 

It was all she could do to just breathe in and out. 

Again, she turned her thoughts to what Clark would do. Had he ever experienced what was going on with her at the moment? What caused it? How was she going to survive this if she could barely lift her arms, much less stand?

The thing screeched again, and Chloe screamed painfully as her head began to pound. Her ears felt as if they were about to fall off, they hurt so much. 

*Oh God Oh God Oh God Oh God...*

Claws found her left cheek, and Chloe shrieked as they left three long bloody scratches in their wake. She felt the blood run down her face and onto her neck in a crimson cascade that soaked into the top of her pink shirt. 

The feeling of her warm blood flowing down her face snapped Chloe back to reality. She was going to have to find a way out of this or she wasn't going to see the next morning. It was all her this time.

Clark wasn't going to save her. He couldn't.

She wrenched her head around to face the thing head on, and she found herself staring into its beady, black eyes. She could see nothing but predatory hunger there. It was completely devoid of anything that may lay evidence to it being human. 

Ignoring the shooting pains and nausea, Chloe stabbed her fingers upward, hoping her fingernails would be long enough to do some damage. She felt her fingers connect with the thing's eyes, and she dug inward, wincing as she felt the thing jerk.

With a long, painful scream, the thing lurched, falling away from her, and covered its eyes. 

The distance put between her and the thing seemed to help the sickness that had washed over her, and Chloe found herself able to stand up, albeit unsteadily. Still shaking, she watched as the creature staggered around for a few seconds, still covering its eyes. 

Without another sound, it took off at a sprint and crashed through the bushes. Within seconds it was gone, obscured by the brush.

Breathing hard, Chloe brought a hand up to her cheek and felt the dried blood that had run from her cuts that had already disappeared. She had come close to death, and she was left feeling more scared than she ever had before. What about the powers? Were they not as foolproof as Clark had first said? 

"I really hope he didn't keep that from me for his sake." she muttered as she slowly made her way back home.

She could barely walk now, but she didn't mind. She took the time to think about what had just happened. Whatever that thing was, she knew she would have to face it again. It was obviously a threat to Smallville, and she couldn't just let it run free. 

Sooner or later, she'd have to figure out a way to fight it without getting deathly ill in the process.

Chloe looked down at her bloody shirt and sighed, "Great. That was one of my favorite shirts. I'll never get the blood out of it."

Again, she let loose a sigh as she continued walking.

*Being a superhero sucks. *

***

The next day at school, Clark noticed that Chloe had become a bit distant from him. Every time he'd try to talk to her, she'd just get a far-off look in her blue eyes, as if she were somewhere else completely. Not even Pete could get her out of her funk. 

It was when Lana had approached him, the concern evident in her eyes, that Clark knew it wasn't just him and Pete. 

"Clark, do you know what's wrong with Chloe?" she asked as she walked up to him in the crowded hallway.

He brushed his hair back from his eyes a bit nervously, not sure about what to say. What was wrong with Chloe? Something was going on, but they had no idea what. He couldn't exactly discuss the possibilities with Lana, either.

"I really don't know," he answered honestly, " she was fine when she left my house last night."

He watched as Lana smiled a bit curiously, "She was at your house? She, uh, didn't tell me that was where she was last night." 

Clark felt the air between them get a bit awkward, and he was immediately sorry for it. He hated keeping Lana out of what was going on, if only for the mere fact that they looked as if they didn't want anything to do with her now. The last few days Clark and Pete had dedicated their time to Chloe and helping her come to terms with what had happened. Which left Lana out of the loop completely.

"She just came over an hung out," he said quickly as they began walking toward history, "for a couple hours."

"Oh," 

He nodded and tried to smile down at Lana, "Yeah."

As they entered the classroom, Lana looked down for a few long moments before glancing at him again. She held a smile on her pretty face, but he could sense the confusion coming from her in waves. He knew she had no idea what to think of their relationship now, and he knew that the extra time he and Chloe spent together was an added blow to the uncertainty she felt. 

But it couldn't be helped.

As Clark sat down, he let out a sigh. He needed to talk to Chloe. 

***

Lex shook his head disapprovingly as he surveyed the damage done to the electric fence that bordered the expanse of lawn behind the mansion. Somehow, some way, an animal had broken clean through the high-voltage wire fencing last night and killed his two watch dogs. 

There was a hole at least seven feet high and four feet across put into his very expensive, supposedly fool-proof fence. 

An animal, indeed.

The dogs' carcasses were nowhere to be found, and Lex had a sneaking suspicion that there wouldn't be anything left.

"A pity," he said as he turned to his head of security, "Tom, you know what I'm going to as, don't you?"

The man nodded, though a bit nervously, and Lex couldn't help but feel a small bit of satisfaction at the guard's obvious behavior.

"Yes sir."

"Good. Then I don't even need to ask how that thing got in here, took the most vicious guard dogs I could track down without so much as a peep, and get out before anyone could see anything., now do I?"

Tom gulped, "No sir." 

Lex nodded, "Alright. See how much the damage is going to cost and get off my property. I don't believe I'll be needing your services from here on out."

Tom nodded and was gone without a word.

Lex turned to look at the gaping hole and studied the trail of dark blood that led into the trees. Something was definitely not right in Smallville.

But was it ever?

***

Chloe stared at the computer that sat in front of her dully, not really caring about the brand new lunch menu that the cafeteria was introducing next week. When the vice principal had asked that she cover the announcement, she had agreed, though reluctantly. Now that the time had come, she found herself not able to type a single word about food when her whole life seemed to be flipping upside down constantly, with no end in sight.

Ever since the storm, she had been dragging ass into the Torch office. It just seemed like it wasn't important anymore. 

She heard someone step into the room, and she glanced up to see Clark standing in the doorway. His dark eyes were a bit timid, yet he smiled at her reassuringly. She knew he had come to talk about the way she'd been acting today. Whether she was happy about it or not, she wasn't sure.

"Hey Clark," she sighed wearily as she leaned back in the chair. She brushed a lock of blonde hair out of her eyes that partially obscured her vision as she gestured to the chair beside her.

He nodded as he strode toward the seat, "Hey," he plopped down sloppily, arms and legs spilling out everywhere, "I just wanted to come by and say hi."

"No you didn't," Chloe answered him as she rolled her eyes without thinking. Sometimes he could be ridiculous as far as trying to cover up his true intentions went.

She watched his smile fade a bit, and he nodded.

*Bingo.* 

She knew him inside out now.

"I noticed you were acting a lot different today Chloe," he began slowly as he looked down, around...everywhere but at her.

Chloe sighed inwardly. She knew she had been acting differently. But how was she supposed to act when she had almost died the night before? She had a lot to think about, and Clark's secrets was one thing. There had been something he didn't tell her.

Still, she wasn't about to take the bait that easily, "No, I'm fine Clark." she looked back at the computer screen and poised her hands over the keyboard. When he only say there and watched her, she sighed and turned back to him. Who was she kidding? She couldn't fool him right now after what they had been through.

"I...took a walk last night Clark," she told him.

He frowned, confused, "Okay."

"And I ran into something...that wasn't human."

Clark sat forward, the concern immediately springing into his eyes, "Are you-?"

"I'm here, aren't I?" Chloe answered quickly, already knowing what he was going to say. 

She stared at him a few seconds, studying his handsome face. He looked genuinely interested and worried about what she was saying.

*But you don't keep secrets from friends.*

"I almost died, Clark," she continued, expecting everything to hit the fan.

Instead, he simply sat back and huffed, "Oh no."

He knew what she was saying, which sent a surge of anger through Chloe.

"How could you not have told me, Clark?" she pleaded as she stood up. She paced around the room nervously, attempting to get rid of some of her angry energy, "I could've died from being exposed to whatever it was that made me sick, and yet you never told me about it!" her voice rose, and Chloe tried to get herself under control. She knew that nothing could get accomplished through screaming.

He put his head in his hands as she continued to vent. Chloe couldn't even tell if he was saying anything, she was talking so quickly.

"I have never been so scared in my life, Clark. That, that thing that almost killed me would have if I hadn't scratched it's eyes out. Which, you should know, was not a great experience for me," she didn't tell him that she spent an hour last night trying to get creature-gunk out from underneath her fingernails, "I walked away from that with a draw. A draw. If I had known, then maybe it would've been different."

She stopped, catching her breath. Chloe could feel her heart fluttering quickly from the frustration that threatened to make itself known in the form of tears. She did not want to cry in front of him again.

*Don't be a baby Chloe.* she thought to herself as she continued to pace.

He looked up at her, his face the picture of sorrow, "I'm so sorry."

"Well, I'm glad, Clark," she answered him venomously, "but it doesn't make up for what happened and what may have happened." 

He nodded, "I know. I just...I wanted to protect you from that. From the knowledge that you're not invincible," he looked down, "I didn't know how you'd take it."

Chloe frowned as she put her hands on her hips. She could barely put into words how angry she was with him, "That's just it, Clark. I would've been fine. I have to be now. You telling me these things is a hundred times better than me finding them out on my own."

She looked down, almost afraid to make eye contact with him, "The biggest secret of your life is apart of me now. You can't hold anything back anymore, no matter how much you want to." 

Clark only nodded. She waited for him to say anything, but when he didn't, she sat back down with a huff, "I really have to work on this Clark. Maybe you should go." 

It pained her to dismiss him so coldly, but she still felt betrayed by the one person who meant the most to her. 

She knew he took the hint when he stood up and made his way to the door. Still, she couldn't help but look up at him when he didn't leave right away. His eyes were downcast and shameful, and she knew he was regretting ever keeping such a vital piece of information from her. 

"I'm...I'm sorry." he said, and then he was gone, lost within the mass of students that swarmed the hallways. 

Chloe turned back to the computer, but couldn't find the strength to begin typing again. Her thoughts were engulfed by an image of Clark's sad eyes and softly spoken apology. 

She sat like that for hours after the school day was over, thinking only of Clark and his newest betrayal in a long line that seemed to hurt her more and more as the days went by.


	8. Newfound Strength

CHAPTER 8

(_What was I thinking?_) Clark asked himself as he walked home from school. How had he ever thought that keeping vital information from Chloe would only help her? What if she had died from what happened?

Clark never would've been able to forgive himself. He had no idea how he could've lived with the knowledge that he had killed his closest friend because he couldn't seem to stop keeping secrets. It didn't matter that what had prevented him from being close to others was Chloe's burden now, and that he had nothing to keep hidden anymore.

Perhaps old habits were just hard to break.

Clark shook his head at himself, disgusted. He felt as if he were under the scrutiny of the world, as if it were staring at him accusingly, asking him what he had thought he would achieve. Or better yet, maybe it was laughing at him, since his strange sense of logic had obviously backfired on him. It was strange, but ever since they had switched, he had given himself the responsibility of looking out for Chloe who, despite her newfound strength, was still just a girl who had been handed too much too fast. At least he had grown up with his powers. She, on the other hand, probably had no idea what to expect. He imagined she didn't really know what she was going to do with herself the rest of her life. Maybe his need to protect her was just a natural reaction to her emotional vulnerability. He was still the male, after all. Not that he was being chauvinistic. Clark just had an irresistible urge to hold her in his arms, shield her from everything that had happened.

But by doing so, he wasn't protecting Chloe from the one who had hurt her the most.

He knew the world was laughing again, chuckling at his realization. Sighing, Clark kicked at a rock that lay on the side of the road, and was slightly irritated at himself when it only bounced a few feet before skidding to a stop.

The sound of a car reached his ears, and Clark began to turn around. Of course, he didn't need to see who it was. There was only one car in Smallville that sounded so smooth...so perfect. It was almost as if it were a predator, waiting to pounce on anything that was game with a rev of its deep growl. The silver Porsche seemed to still scream even as it idled and as Lex Luthor stepped out of the vehicle.

Lex pulled off his Ray Bans in one fluid motion and tucked them into the inside pocket of his impeccably tailored suit. Smiling, he gestured at his car, "I see you're walking home from school today. Want a lift?"

Clark started to shake his head and say that he needed time to think, but he realized that he hadn't seen Lex in a week or so. He probably wanted to see what had been going on with his younger friend since their last conversation about Lana and Chloe.

"Sure, thanks." he answered, attempting a small smile as he climbed into the passenger seat.

Lex slipped his sunglasses back on as he slid in behind the steering wheel, "Clark, you are a man of many things, but a liar is not one of them."

Clark couldn't help but chuckle inwardly at the implication that he was a bad liar. He couldn't tell Lex differently, so he just looked at him, "What do you mean?"

Shifting the car into drive, Lex hit the clutch, and the car responded easily, "Sometimes, thoughts don't need to be dwelled upon by the thinker. I always find it incredibly helpful to open up a little."

Clark almost snorted at Lex's attempt to pry his way into Clark's guilt and regret. He was a very good reader of people's intentions and moods, he could give him that, but as far as opening up went, well, completely opening up, it would never happen.

"There's really nothing to open up about."

He watched as Lex's mouth seemed to turn down slightly, but it was gone in a split second. This was how things were between them. One would prod, the other wouldn't give. It was a circle that the two friends couldn't break because each had his own secrets that couldn't be trusted with anyone.

Lex glanced at Clark, and he could feel his intense gaze radiating from behind his dark sunglasses, "I doubt that, Clark."

They rode in silence for a few seconds, until Lex looked at him again, "How is Lana?"

"She's fine," Clark knew that wasn't the answer Lex wanted, but it was all he could give him. Since Chloe had gained her powers, he had almost forgotten that Lana was still there. It was as if he had never been tragically in love with the girl. He still wished to be her friend, of course, but his and Chloe's bond had grown incredibly strong before he had succeeded in screwing it up, and therefore he had found all the companionship he needed in her and Pete.

Lex shook his head subtly, "Then I suppose she has been moved permanently to the back of the room that is Clark Kent's mind. Replaced by a certain blonde?"

Clark shifted uncomfortably. (_How does he do that?_) he thought. Lex was the only person he knew who could take a two-word answer and turn it into an insightful realization. It was uncanny, and a bit frightening, "Chloe's just a friend, Lex."

"Of course," the young billionaire answered suavely, "just a friend."

They pulled up to the Kent farm, and Lex allowed the car to skid to a halt, kicking up dust and gravel. Quickly, almost thankfully, Clark scrambled out of the seat. The interrogation had been more harsh than usual, "Thanks, Lex. You uh, you want to come in for dinner?"

"Not that I wouldn't immensely enjoy Martha's impeccable cooking, but I have to be going. I have an important appointment in about an hour. Thanks anyway, Clark."

And with that, Lex sped down the driveway, turned a corner, and was gone.

The city of Metropolis shone radiantly under the midday sun. Each skyscraper, with windows that shimmered like diamonds, was more beautiful than the one before. Each seemed to shine with it's own unique perfection. This was industrialization and entrepreneurialship at its finest.

And who owned the highest building of them all? Lionel Luthor, of course. Turning away from the large window that revealed the city beneath him, Lionel chuckled to himself. He had never been one to play the game "mine is bigger than yours", but he was quite pleased with himself that he had secured his place at the top of the food chain for a long while yet.

With John Thomas, simple nuisance that he had been, out of the way, Lionel knew he could breathe easier as far as his business dealings were concerned. For the moment, anyway. And to breathe easier simply meant that he was in no direct danger of having his...interests becoming known. The man had come across too much information, albeit accidentally. When he had been asked to take care of one of Lionel's former partners, Mr. Thomas had sent his informants into every dark corner in Metropolis and had discovered the reason of the man's death.

Too much knowledge had been obtained, and thus, Mr. Thomas had to be eliminated.

Lionel chuckled again as he recalled just how he had been taken care of. It was ingenious in itself, and Lionel had no qualms in admitting it. He simply only had to sit back and watch the show, see how things unfolded in the strange little town of Smallville.

Lionel knew that he would enjoy it.

Pete hummed a tuneless song to himself as he swung the door to the Talon open smoothly. The smell of mocha and whipped cream met him, and he inhaled deeply as he searched the small cove for Chloe. He watched for a perky, short haircut, but upon seeing nothing, he made his way to the bar, where Lana was serving a couple of seniors from school some coffee.

"Hey Lana," he greeted as he sat on a stool, "have you seen Chloe?"

Lana, her hair pulled back into a messy bun, shook her head as she poured someone a cup of coffee, "No, not since school. Did you check the Torch?"

"Yeah," he shook his head for emphasis, "and I got nothin'."

Lana put the coffee down as she leaned against the counter thoughtfully, "That's weird. I thought I remembered her saying that she'd be there after school."

Pete just smiled. He wanted more than anything for Lana to know what was going on. She was a nice girl, who wanted nothing but to help people out, but more definitely wasn't merrier in Clark's and Chloe's case. If she knew, he could just say, "Oh, maybe she went to the field to practice up on her heat vision," or something like that.

But instead, he had to feign ignorance, "Well, alright. I guess I'll find her somewhere. Thanks, Lana."

"No problem," Pete turned to go, "uh...Pete?"

He stopped, "Yeah?"

Her eyes were full of confusion and concern, and he couldn't help but feel bad for her. She had no idea what was happening to her friends, "Is everything...okay with Chloe?" It probably looked as if everyone was spinning off in different directions and away from her.

"Uh, yeah," Pete's mood sank lower with every lie he told her, "a little tired because of the deadline, but other than that..."

He could tell Lana wasn't buying it. She sighed, and he winced inwardly, "Well, she didn't seem okay. Clark is acting a little off too, and I was wondering if they were having problems." The last few words seemed to be hard for her.

Pete understood that feeling completely.

"Problems?"

"Well, they've gotten...closer."

Those words said so much, and they both knew it, "Yeah, they have."

Pete had liked Chloe forever, it seemed to him. He could remember always admiring her wit and her talents. She had a knack for finding out the truth. And she had the looks too. She was the most beautiful girl he knew...and yet, he couldn't tell her. They were best friends. Doing so would change things indefinitely, and he didn't want to risk changing it for the worse. Besides, she still liked Clark.

And Clark liked...maybe liked...Lana. The situation had become more unstable since the thunderstorm and the switching, so it was all Pete could do to just guess about what was taking place between the friends.

And then, he had snapped out of it, "Nah," he waved a hand dismissively, "I'm sure everything's cool. Chloe probably didn't mean to pull a disappearing act. Probably got sidetracked or something."

Lana's eyes clouded over, and he knew their connection, formed by the growing jealousy they had been feeling over their possible losses, was gone, "That's good," she paused, hesitant, "I've...gotta get back to work."

And that was it. With a nod, Pete turned and left the Talon, having forgotten the tune he'd been humming.

He didn't really feel like humming anymore.

"Hi Clark," Clark jumped, startled, at the voice that floated down to him from his Fortress of Solitude.

(_Sometimes, I really miss my powers..._)

He looked up to see Chloe leaning over the railing, her eyes a bit red-rimmed. Still, he couldn't help but think that she was still beautiful. He knew she had cried more over the past few weeks than she had in her lifetime. She was usually a girl who refused to show her emotions to anyone for fear of being seen as weak and vulnerable, but she had been unable to comply, and he knew that he had been the cause of it.

"Hey Chloe," had she come to yell at him? To tell him she never wanted to see him again? He would understand if she had come for those reasons, even if he hoped, more than anything, that she was there for another reason.

He climbed the stairs and joined her as she flopped down onto his old couch. For a few moments, they didn't say anything, too afraid of what the other was thinking. It was as if they were both trying to get their nerve up.

Finally, Chloe turned to him, "I'm...sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to get so crazy on you."

Clark almost smiled, he was so relieved, "Uh, no, it was my fault. I should've told you from the beginning."

"Yeah, you should have," her remark was softened by her smile, and he relaxed even more, "but it's in the past, and I decided that we've got to stop doing this. I need you, Clark.. You're the only one who's ever experienced something like this."

He nodded as she continued.

"You're more than just someone who knows what to do. You mean a lot to me." As she finished, she seemed to deflate, and Clark couldn't help but smile at her.

She saw him, "What?"

"Oh, nothing," he tried to stop smiling, but he couldn't, "you have no idea how happy you just made me."

Chloe grinned too, and he found himself to be fascinated with the way her lips curved softly into a small smile, "You thought I was coming here to kick your ass or something."

"It crossed my mind," He rose, suddenly more calm and at ease than he had been in weeks, "you wanna stay for dinner tonight? I'm sure mom and dad won't mind."

Chloe stood up to and looked up at him as she ran a hand through her hair, "Uh, I don't know. I kind of look like a crazy hag."

"No, you could never look like that. You're too beautiful." Clark stopped abruptly. He hadn't meant to say that. It had begun as a thought, but had slipped out as a compliment.

(_How did that get out?_)

She stopped fixing her hair, "Are you just telling me that?" she asked suspiciously.

"No, I'm really not," he couldn't turn back now, "I really do think that."

He winced inwardly and waited for her to laugh at him and put herself down like she did so much. She had developed a habit for it over the years.

When she didn't say anything, he looked up from the floor and met her eyes. They held nothing but fondness in them, and he had a sneaking suspicion that his held the same. After what seemed like a millennium, she took a step forward until they were almost touching. Clark's heart began to beat faster as they continued to look at each other, as if something would be lost forever if they broke their gazes. Her head was tilted up toward his, and he was looking almost straight down at her. A memory of them in the hall at school popped into his head. He had said that he would never outgrow her except vertically, and she had smiled at the comment, amused.

His eyes found her lips, and before he knew it, he was leaning down slowly, almost hesitantly. He wondered if this was a joke orchestrated by the world that had mocked him so cruelly earlier. Any minute she would break away from him and hurriedly say they didn't need to do this.

But she didn't. His lips met her smaller, warm ones, and he instinctively wrapped his arms around her petite waist and pulled her gently into him. She responded, and they kissed sweetly, almost chastely.

(_Oh my God_)

Her heart was practically pumping out of her chest, and she felt as if she would faint. His arms almost completely enveloped her, and she found she loved the feeling. All she could feel was him in front of her, his lips on hers...

The kiss was the most perfect she had ever experienced.

"Hey guys?"

Pete's voice shocked them back to reality, and Chloe leaped away from Clark, as if she had been shocked. He did the same until they were several feet apart.

Pete appeared at the top of the stairs and paused. (_Oh crap_) she thought. She knew he had picked up on their awkwardness. His body language was one Chloe had become fluent in since they had become so close. It was like he was questioning her without even saying a word.

"Hey Pete," she flashed a quick smile, "what's up?"

He looked from her to Clark, who broke his gaze from the floor to look at his friend, "Uh, I was looking for you. Wanted to see if you needed any help at the Torch tonight."

"Uh, yeah. That would be great. I was actually gonna head over there after I ate dinner with Clark's family. They invited me over tonight."

Why was she talking as if she were trying to cover something up that she had done wrong? She had done absolutely nothing wrong.

"You can stay too Pete, if you want." Clark added as he tried to sit casually on the couch. He only ended up nearly missing the whole thing completely, and he scrambled to not fall flat on his butt.

All chances at covering up had vanished.

Pete raised an eyebrow, "No, but thanks anyway Clark. I already ate," he looked at Chloe, "give me a call later when you're ready to head over there."

With that and a little wave, he was going back down the stairs and out to his car. They both watched as he got in and drove down the driveway, a little faster than usual. It was as if he was scrambling to get away from what he had stumbled upon.

(_Crap_)

Chloe had wondered if Pete liked her for a few years. She would catch him glancing at her out of the corner of his eye fondly, or checking her out subtly (or not, whichever way you wanted to look at it). They had been few and far between, but eventually the signs had built up until she had been unable to write them off. His reaction to her and Clark was solid evidence of his feelings.

(_Why do things have to keep getting more complicated for me?_) she asked herself as she stared at the floor of the loft. She could feel Clark's eyes on her, but she didn't turn to meet them.

(_Shouldn't I just get free passes on everything now?_) She knew that wasn't possible, of course. Chloe was sure Clark had never had any superhero luxuries besides his powers, and even those had a catch. In fact his powers had only complicated things for him. But she couldn't blame what had just happened on her powers, since she had been the admirer from afar toward Clark, much as Pete had been toward her, for a long time.

"Chloe?"

She registered his timid voice and tore her eyes from the floor to look at him, "Hmmm?"

"You ok?" his hazel eyes seemed to bore into her, and she almost shrunk underneath his intense concern for her. Then, they quickly turned to regret, "I'm sorry Chloe. Maybe I shouldn't have-,"

"No, it's ok," she almost laughed out loud, he was so timid and puppy-like. Apparently, their relationship had been so unstable lately that he had adopted a very un-forceful approach towards her, and that was saying a lot since he had never been very aggressive to begin with.

They sat in silence for a few moments. Chloe wasn't sure what to say about what had happened. She had gone from incredibly happy and lovey-dovey to embarrassed in less than two minutes. She was almost afraid to say that she had liked the kiss, afraid that he would immediately backpedal and say that it never should've happened.

Still, she couldn't help but plunge in, "Clark-,"

"Chloe, if you think we shouldn't have done that-,"

"No, I don't think that at all." That was it. She had just said that she didn't regret it.

(_Oh God. What have I done?_)

But he didn't say what she had grown accustomed to. He didn't say that they should remain friends because he didn't want to ruin their friendship. He said exactly what she had always hoped to hear.

"I don't either," he looked down for a minute, and Chloe waited for him to get his nerve back up, "to tell you the truth, I've been wanting to do that for awhile."

"Oh." Chloe didn't know what to say. She could find no words for the relief that spread through her, so she found herself smiling in place of talking.

Clark smiled back at her as he stood up. She tilted her head up to follow him and rose too. Despite Pete's discovery of them and the fact that she knew she would have to have a long talk with him later, Chloe hadn't felt happier in a long time.

"Let's eat. I'm starving." Her stomach growled as she said it, and she smiled again.

(_Now, to end the night with Mrs. Kent's awesome cooking_.)

"Tyler?"

(_What has he gotten me into now?_)

"Tyler...,"

Rachel Spielman pushed a branch out of her face as she found her way through the dense brush of the woods. Her boyfriend had brought her here as a surprise for their six month anniversary, but he had disappeared after telling her to wait for him to come and get her. She knew it was probably some kind of a picnic, since she had been laying hints for weeks now. Then again, maybe it wasn't. He wasn't exactly the smartest of guys.

She stopped and pouted for a few seconds, not sure what to do, "If this is your idea of a joke...,"

Her eye caught something red in the bushes. Curious, she leaned down to get a better look at it.

(_Oh God_)

It was Tyler's shirt, all mangled and bloodied. But Tyler wasn't in it.

"Tyler?" Rachel looked around wildly for anything that might tell her where he had gone to, even though she wasn't sure she really wanted to know.

Stricken with fear, Rachel started to cry. She had no idea what had happened, and she wondered if whatever had taken him was still around. If it was, she was in serious danger.

Something rustled in the bushed behind her, and she whirled around, hoping to see Tyler in perfect shape. (_Maybe he's just playing a joke on me..._)

But she gasped at what stood in front of her. The thing was huge and black and shiny, with long arms that ended in razor sharp claws. Blood dripped off of them, and she screamed as she realized where Tyler had gone to. She would never see him again. She may not see anyone ever again.

Her tears continued to flow as she backed away from the thing, afraid to turn her back on it. She couldn't tear her eyes away from it's claws. Those huge claws...

She could only hear her own gasps and the blood that rushed in her ears. It was as if the forest has paused, bearing witness to what was happening. Rachel knew that she was going to die. She knew it as the thing raised its arm, preparing to strike. She knew her fate without doubt, and so she could only wait as its massive hand came rushing down towards her head. She closed her eyes as she felt hard skin connect with her cheek and screamed as the claws dug into her skin.

And then, she felt nothing more.


	9. Love and Terror

1

CHAPTER 9

Chloe smiled and sang along dreamily to the song that wafted from the radio of her car as she chugged down the road at a good pace. Mrs. Kent's food had been awesome, and she was considering taking a short nap before starting her work at the Torch later that night. Whether she would be able to concentrate was a different story, since she had kissed the guy she'd been crushing on for years only a couple hours before.

_Life is good_, she thought as she drove. Even though things had been crazy and emotional and there was a good chance they would continue that way, she could feel nothing but...mushiness. It was amazing how quickly she had dissolved into the most romantic girly-girl since their kiss.

_Get a grip, Chlo_, she told herself, _you're freaking 17 years old_. Then, she laughed to herself. _Like that's gonna change things_.

Chloe found that she loved the feelings that were bouncing around inside. They were a needed reprieve from what her life had recently become, and she hoped they didn't go away any time soon. Of course, she didn't see how they could if she and Clark continued on the path they had started in his loft.

She couldn't believe she had actually kissed him. Clark Kent, the guy that had always been hung up on Lana-

_Oh God. Lana_...Chloe didn't know how she was gonna approach that subject. Of course, Lana's relationship with Clark had been pretty up and down. Maybe she didn't think of him that way anymore.

She shook her head to herself. Who was she kidding? Chloe knew she still felt that way. She still saw it in her eyes every time Clark was mentioned.

But then again, Lana had been pretty sneaky when they had dated. She hadn't told Chloe about it until she had found out for herself. Then she had come clean, just as Clark had.

It was the worst feeling Chloe had ever felt, finding out about those two.

Chloe suddenly felt the bitterness threaten to push its way into her mind as she thought about it. _Why should I tell her_? She thought selfishly, _it's not like she told me until it was blatantly in my face_.

But just as quickly, it was gone. Chloe deflated as she realized that she couldn't do that. She couldn't hold her relationship with Clark away from Lana. It just wasn't like her. She was an honest person about everything, even when it was better to not be.

_Except when it involves the biggest secret of my life..._

With that, Chloe sighed. She would just have to accept the fact that she was hiding something from the world. There was no way around it.

As Chloe topped a hill she was surprised to see red and blue lights flashing ahead on the side of the main road. Police cars were blocking the entrance to one of the many backwoods-dirt roads that were littered throughout Smallville. Curious, she slowed down and rolled down her window as she approached. A policeman strutted to the car as she rolled to a stop, so she plastered an innocent smile onto her face as she made eye contact with him.

"What's going on, officer?" she asked cutely, trying to use her girlish ways to get an answer out of him.

He shook his head as he glanced behind him where other officers were standing around with notepads and walkie-talkies drawn.

_Smallville's finest_.

"I'm afraid this is a crime scene ma'am. Just move it along." with that, he turned to dismiss her.

_Well, crap_.

Her disappointment was halted by the sound of a familiar voice, "Let her pass. She's an acquaintance."

Lex glanced at her as he approached the officer steadily, "If you have a problem with that-,"

"No no, sir. No problem." the officer slunk away as Chloe pulled her car over and hopped out. She flashed a grateful smile to Lex as she walked up to him.

"What's going on?"

He looked at her gravely as they walked toward the scene, "There was an attack here, earlier this afternoon. In broad daylight."

"Broad daylight?" Chloe frowned as she processed this, "did they catch the guy that did it?"

Lex glanced at her again, "It's not exactly a guy, Ms. Sullivan."

She paused at that. An image of the thing that nearly killed her a couple nights ago. It had been huge, and it was definitely capable of doing some damage.

"There are...remains. Just not very much."

Chloe started to feel sick. She knew where this was going.

"They think there were two people. Material and not much more was found in two different places."

"Is there a car?" she asked as she reeled from the news.

He nodded, "They're running the plates now. It shouldn't be too long-,"

"Oh God." Chloe almost moaned the words as she came upon the vehicle. It was Tyler Donovan's black truck. She could tell that the teddy bear that hung in his rearview mirror had been the one Rachel had given him a few months ago. Chloe could still remember her excited smile as she showed it to her in the Torch.

"Chloe?"

She swayed a bit, but managed to stay upright, "It's Tyler Donovan's truck. He goes to school with us," she paused as a realization dawned on her. The other person..., "the other one is Rachel Spielman. They must've come out here... Oh God."

Lex peered at her with concern, "Are you okay?"

Chloe managed a nod, then she tried to speak through the dryness in her mouth, "I knew them...she worked for me at the Torch."

"I see," he lowered his head regretfully, "Perhaps you should go. It was a mistake letting you see this."

"Why are you here?" Chloe asked with more strength than she thought she could muster.

He gave her a small, knowing smile, as if he knew all along that she would ask him that, "A few days ago something broke through the fence that surrounds my property and mutilated my guard dogs," he waited for a reaction. Chloe didn't give him one, so he continued, "it was done with such swiftness and...maliciousness, for lack of a better word, that I realized it couldn't be any wild animal."

Chloe nodded, "The thing that attacked Rachel and Tyler."

"I came as soon as I heard what had happened," Lex shook his head as he turned to look at her, "something has been let loose, Ms. Sullivan, and I intend to find out what it is."

Chloe felt a sudden surge of anger, "Out of your compassion and worry for the people who live here, Lex, or for your own curiosity and enjoyment?" She couldn't help it. It was an honest question, albeit a bit harsh.

"I am shocked that you would even ask such a question, Ms. Sullivan," Lex looked genuinely hurt, and Chloe's anger was replaced by a pang of guilt.

She sighed as she looked around, "It's kind of a shock...seeing this." Chloe forced herself to meet his eyes as she silently retracted the question.

"Yeah," Lex nodded as he followed her gaze. It seemed as if he had let the question go, "you'd better go home. There's nothing else to be done here."

She knew he was dismissing her, but she had no problem with it. Chloe suddenly felt incredibly guilty for the way she had been obsessing over her kiss with Clark. Things had happened while she had been eating peacefully with the Kents. She may have been able to stop the thing from killing Tyler and Rachel...

But she hadn't, and frankly, that sucked.

XXXXXXXXXX

Clark didn't notice his parents staring at him as he helped clean off the dinner table until his dad cleared his throat purposefully. When he looked up, they were both staring at him strangely.

"Clark, honey?" Martha asked as she took a plate from him to wash, "are you alright?"

He shrugged his shoulders, confused as to what she meant, "Never been better. Why?"

"Because you've had that smile plastered onto your face since Chloe walked through that door, son," Jonathon answered for his wife as he stood up from the table and patted his full stomach, "now, I know your mother's cooking is good, but-,"

"It's nothing," Clark interrupted, suddenly embarrassed. He hated it when his parents did this. They always assumed that he was interested in a girl every time he happened to act a little happier.

_Then again_...

Sighing, Clark mock-glared at his parents, "I know what you're thinking."

"Then what are we thinking, honey?" Martha asked, smiling.

"You're thinking that me and Chloe are...you know."

"Dating?" his mom answered with a chuckle, "we're not thinking it, we know."

Clark scoffed, "Dad..."

Jonathon shook his head, "You're not getting any help from me son. Even if it weren't obvious, your mother knows when something's going on."

Clark threw up his hands, "I swear, I can't talk to you two."

"Why are you embarrassed?" his mom asked as she grabbed another dish from Clark's hands, "I think it's wonderful. Her getting your powers seems to be the best thing that ever happened to your relationship with her."

"Yeah, but it's more complicated than that," Clark stopped as he realized that he had just given in and agreed with his parents, "I mean..."

Jonathon gave a short laugh, "Come on Romeo. Let's finish up the chores. If there's one thing I do miss, it was your ability to cover everything in an hour."

Clark couldn't help but nod, "Can't agree with you more."

Thankful that the conversation had come to an end, Clark followed his dad out to the barn.

XXXXXXXXXX

Lana was waiting for Chloe as soon as she walked through the front door of the house. Her stance was tense and agitated, even though Chloe could tell she was trying to cover it up.

"Hey Lana," Chloe said as she gave her friend a weak, tired smile, "waiting up for me?"

Her joke was apparently lost on Lana, "Where have you been all afternoon? Pete came into the Talon looking for you, and-,"

"It's okay. He found me. I'm heading over to the Torch now after I give him a call." Chloe knew that Lana wouldn't be satisfied with her answer.

"Oh. Okay," Lana turned away from her and headed into the kitchen. Chloe followed obediently, "um...were you with Clark?"

There it was. The Question. It was a question Chloe knew would come, but she still felt surprised by it, as if she had been blind sided. Of course, she had no idea what to say. She could say yes and just leave it at that, or explain herself a little more.

"Yes." She chose option number one.

Lana paused at that, and Chloe waited intensely for her reaction. When Chloe saw tears in the other girl's eyes, she almost groaned out loud. _Oh God_. Apparently Lana still had feelings for him, and she had known that Chloe had been growing closer to him over the past few weeks.

"Lana, I'm sorry, but-,"

"Were you planning on telling me?"

The hurt in her words were like a punch to Chloe's stomach. Or a punch to her stomach before she had gotten Clark's powers, "Yes. I just...I didn't think it was going to be anything."

_I didn't even think there was going to be a friendship_.

"So it is." Lana seemed to crumple more and more before Chloe's eyes, and she felt another, completely different, pang of guilt besides the one from the police scene.

_An added bonus_. She thought to herself as she tried to figure out what to say next.

But she couldn't find the words to continue with the conversation. Chloe was suddenly very tired of trying to explain herself to a girl who couldn't seem to move on from something that had never worked in the first place. She was tired of Lana not wanting to let Clark go.

Besides, things were happening that were far too important to be worried about a guy, "Lana, I can't do this."

"Chloe, we have to talk about this. I'm tired of you sneaking around me, and I think-,"

"Tyler Donovan and Rachel Spielman are dead."

Lana stopped, and her demeanor seemed to collapse even more, "What? What happened?"

Lana had been good friends with Tyler, just as Chloe had been good friends with Rachel. She had been his tutor since grade school in math, and she had helped Tyler deal with the death of his mother two years before.

Chloe bit her lip, contemplating what to say, "Um, they were attacked. In the woods. They don't know what did it."

"What? It's a what?" Lana's voice rose a bit, and she began to cry, "what did it do to them?"

Chloe reached her arms out to the other girl as she began to cry softly. She wished she could shed tears, but she was emotionally exhausted, and she felt as if it were Lana's turn to grieve. They hugged tightly, their argument forgotten. Lana cried into her shoulder, and Chloe stroked her hair soothingly.

"I'm sorry." Chloe whispered, leaving Lana's last question unanswered.

XXXXXXXXXX

Several hours later Chloe found herself at the Torch, working on an article about Rachel and Tyler's death that would replace an unoriginal one about the Crows' last game. It was short and vague, one that concentrated more on their memory than what had happened to them.

"Hey,"

Pete's voice was cool, and Chloe looked up to see him standing in the doorway, "Hey Pete."

"Which one are you taking out?" he asked as he came to sit down beside her.

"The article about the Crows," she smiled apologetically, even though she knew Pete wouldn't mind, "sorry Pete. I just think-,"

"It's cool," he interrupted.

They fell into silence. Chloe didn't know what to say to him. She knew what he had seen in the loft earlier had upset him, and she hated that. He was her best friend, and it hurt her to know that they weren't on good terms.

She stopped typing to look at him. Pete was staring at nothing as he leaned over a spread of the front page of the next day's paper. He looked genuinely wounded.

Chloe sighed, "Pete, I'm really sorry you saw-,"

"It's cool," he said again, more quiet than the first, "I should've known anyway. You two were getting pretty close."

"Yeah, but-,"

"Chloe," he stopped her again as he turned to face her, "I'm having a little trouble, but I'll get over it," he gave her a weak smile, "as long as you're happy."

She bit her lip, unsure of herself. She knew Pete better than the back of her hand. His words were a small comfort, but she knew he didn't get over things very easily. She was certain their friendship was still intact, but it bothered her that he had hoped he could give her happiness for so long.

And she never felt the same way.

_Karma. What a bitch_. She thought as she resumed typing.

Whatever was going on between them, it would have to wait. Just as the situation between her and Lana would have to be set aside. Something was loose in Smallville that didn't belong in nature, and she knew she had to find it before it killed again.

With a heavy sigh, Chloe tried to concentrate on the article. She knew it was going to be a long night.

XXXXXXXXXX

"You sent for me, son?"

Lionel's greeting was nothing of the sort, and Lex knew it. His father didn't say hello or goodbye. He spoke business no matter the situation. Now, he was asking why his son had pulled him from his office in Metropolis in such short notice to the mansion in a stunt that was sure to cost the company millions in lost time and revenues.

Friendly chats didn't exist between them. They never had.

"Dad," Lex turned smoothly, a Chardonnay in one hand, "yes, I did."

Lex had put in a request to a man of...specialized talents, and had been shocked to hear he had been missing. When he made further inquiry into the matter, he had discovered that John Thomas had last been employed by his Lionel himself, up to the day before he had disappeared. Lex knew his father well, and he knew of the things he did. If John Thomas had been found to be a problem to Lionel's business dealings, he knew his father had no qualms in eliminating him.

Lionel stopped in front of him and threw his hands wide, waiting.

Lex knew better than to answer too quickly. Instead, he simply smiled and took a drink of his wine, ignoring his father's glare as he gazed into the older man's eyes.

"Son, while I appreciate your stoic silence, I must tell you that I am a busy man. I don't have time for staring contests."

He chuckled to himself, "Why don't you stay awhile? Have a drink, dad."

"No, thank you," Lionel's shoulder's loss their tenseness, and he smiled at his son, "surely there was a reason behind this."

Lex looked at the man he had been forced to call his father his whole life. The crow's feet and frown lines were evidence of his aging, yet his coldness had not softened. Instead, it had only grown harder. The lines added a sharpness that added to Lionel's hawk-like features.

And he looked at his own son as prey. Lex knew this. He knew his father studied him as a business enemy, as someone who should be one-upped. Their relationship was a power play, with everything they could get their hands on as fair game. Nothing was off limits.

Including dark business secrets.

"Do you know a man by the name of John Thomas, dad?" Lex asked calmly as he took a seat in a luxurious chair that sat in front of the fireplace.

Lionel rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and Lex almost applauded him, "John Thomas, you say? If I'm not mistaken, he was a man who traveled the higher circles in his own way. He was a hired hit man, I believe. One who performed jobs for those who didn't trust just any thug from the street."

He didn't admit to having any association with him, as Lex knew he would do.

_Bravo, dad_.

"That's correct," Lex answered as he looked at his drink thoughtfully, "I received word today that he's been missing for some time now."

"Oh?"

Lionel's voice expressed complete uninterest, yet Lex could sense the questions that threatened to spill over from his father's lips lurking beneath the aloofness. He could translate every move his father made or every word his father said with some certainty.

Though he managed to surprise him sometimes.

"And what, may I ask, does this have to do with me, son?"

Lex took that as his cue to switch gears, "Everything, Dad," he rose and sat his wine down gently, "his last job was for you. He disappeared a day after he had finished the job and hasn't been seen since."

"He was a man who was too stupid to realize who he dealt with, son. I'm sure someone simply...disposed of him."

Lex shook his head as he took a step toward his father, "Someone like you, Dad?"

Lionel scoffed as he shook his head, "Have you really stooped this low, Lex, to where you have to accuse me of having some low-life murdered?"

"Because you don't so that, do you Dad?" Lex knew he had the upper hand, and he relished it, "killing is below you."

Lionel sighed, "Sometimes things need to be done in the name of business."

"And that's why you hired John Thomas. To erase a problem."

"Don't you think you may be jumping to conclusions, son?" Lionel asked with a smirk, and Lex felt a sudden surge of anger.

He didn't show it. His father would go for the jugular if he allowed such an emotion to be expressed. Lex knew he would hold it over him for a very long time.

_And I can't allow that_.

"Perhaps," Lex acted nonchalant, something he had perfected since he could remember, "but does it really matter?"

Lionel smiled again, "Touche, son," then, he paused, "why are you suddenly the investigative reporter? We have the _Daily Planet _and people like Chloe Sullivan for that."

"Because my sources tell me that you went on a little adventure the day Mr. Thomas went missing," Lex paused for effect, "into the Smallville woods, Dad. Precisely where John Thomas was reported to be heading to that day."

Lionel chuckled, "A simple coincidence, son. I simply had to meet with him in a secure area to discuss some business. Whatever happened to him after that is of no concern to me."

Lex sighed, "I will find out what happened to him. Whatever you're hiding will come to light, I guarantee it."

"Oh, you can certainly find another man to do your dirty work for you, son," Lionel replied as he turned to go impatiently, "I'm sure you will find someone willing to do whatever you ask."

Lex paused. It was no secret that some of his business dealings had been...questionable, but it unnerved him to hear his father talk about it as if it were perfectly...moral. He cringed inwardly at the word. Since Lex had taken over the plant in Smallville he had draw a line between the difference in his...actions when it came to business and his personal life.

Even though friends had gotten stung by his strange sense of ethics before.

The whole picture had not yet revealed itself to Lex yet. He had a strange hunch that the thing that had attacked his dogs, and later the teenagers, was connected to the disappearance of John Thomas. In fact, he was fairly certain that the thing _was_ John Thomas. Lionel had strange ways of dealing with his annoyances.

The sound of the door closing caused Lex to look up from the fire that burned in the hearth. His father had taken his leave. He couldn't help but smile to himself as he turned toward his desk. It seemed as if he had gotten nowhere to the casual observer, yet Lex knew differently. He had gotten the answers he needed.

And yet, there were more questions.

XXXXXXXXXX

_We kissed right here_.

Clark smiled, almost goofily, to himself as he stared at the spot in the loft where he had held Chloe close to him and leaned down to place his lips on hers. It had been amazing, and he hadn't been able to think about anything else since.

_I'm such a dork_, he thought to himself as he moved to his telescope. Still, he couldn't help it. All he saw was her smile, her dimples. He wondered how he had gone so long without noticing how beautiful she was.

Then again, he had been preoccupied by Lana. She had once been the girl he always thought about, dreamed about. Now, he knew he had finally moved on. She didn't plague his thoughts any longer. She had been replaced by a cute, bouncy little blonde. And while they still had some things to work out, like her powers, he had never felt happier.

He wondered what she was doing as he gazed through his telescope at the millions of stars that blanketed the sky in a strange, random dance.

_I wonder if she's thinking about me..._

Suddenly, he heard the painful scream of a cow. It was long and agonized, and Clark jumped at the sound. He tried to see through the darkness into the field, but he couldn't make out anything. He started down the stairs from the loft quickly as he mulled over what could be causing the animal to wail so horribly.

Then, it was cut short. Something had killed it, Clark was sure of it.

"Clark!" his Dad was calling for him, and he ran towards the house as his father strode down the stairs of the porch, "did you hear that, son?"

He could only nod.

Jonathon had his shotgun with him, and with a nod, they began walking toward the field purposefully. Clark finally hesitated when they reached the fence, "Dad, I-," he paused, "I don't have my powers anymore. Maybe we shouldn't-,"

"We can't just stand here while something kills the cattle, Clark," Jonathon answered as he opened the gate and walked through, "I'm sure it's just a coyote."

Clark felt sick as he followed his father through the gate. He was truly worried, since he didn't have the ability to protect anyone, including himself, from whatever might be out there.

The herd began to wail as a group, and Clark turned his head a bit as they walked. It sounded as if they were coming closer...

"Son," Jonathon stopped, "they're coming this way."

The cries were just over the hill, and they waited as the cattle got closer. They appeared a few short seconds, loping crazily from whatever had killed the first cow. They were terrified.

Clark was too.

The next thing they saw made Clark gasp. What followed close behind the herd was a huge...thing. It was black, and it's skin shone as if it were a coat of armor. The thing's long arms tapered into the longest, sharpest claws he had ever seen, and it swung them at the straggling cattle wildly as it ran alongside them.

"Oh my God," Jonathon breathed as they watched it, "what is that?"

Clark could only stare.

XXXXXXXXXX

Chloe tapped her nails on the steering wheel nervously as she drove toward the Kents'. She hadn't planned on staying out anymore, since she had felt every emotion possible within the span of 12 hours and was ready to crash for the night, but she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep until she talked to Clark.

_And here I am. _She thought as she rounded another curve. She hadn't been able to get Tyler and Rachel out of her head. She knew that if she had done something about the thing that had attacked her she would be expecting to see Rachel in the Torch office tomorrow. She would listen to her gush over her boyfriend yet again.

_I would give anything to hear her talk about Tyler again_. Chloe had never really been close friends with Rachel, but they had talked about almost everything in the office over the last couple of years. They had given each other advice about the littlest things to the biggest.

Chloe would really miss her.

She pulled into the Kents' driveway a little faster than she should have, but she didn't care. She only slowed down as she approached the barn, and even then Chloe had to pump the brakes hard to avoid driving into it.

She heard the wails of the cows as she stepped out of her car, and she looked toward the field to see Clark and his Dad staring at something.

"Clark!" she yelled as she walked toward him.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Clark!"

He heard Chloe shout his name, but he couldn't turn away from the monster that had appeared over the hill. His stomach turned sickeningly as her voice carried past him and toward the thing. He felt his dad stiffen, and Clark knew he had done the same.

They waited tensely, and Clark felt like he was going to throw up as the thing stopped and turned it's head...to look straight at them.

_Oh God_. They were in trouble, and Clark realized he had never felt so vulnerable and useless.

"Dammit," Jonathon swore, and he grabbed Clark's arm as they both turned to run toward the house.

Clark saw Chloe's blonde hair, and he concentrated on that as they fled from the thing. She was jogging toward them, smiling wearily. It quickly faded as they approached her, and Clark waved his arms wildly at her to turn around. She slowed down, then stopped.

"Chloe, there's something out there!" Clark yelled as they got closer.

She looked toward the field, "What? I don't..." then, she paused, and her eyes widened, "oh my God."

Clark watched as she seemed to shrink back in fear at the thing, and he knew her instincts still hadn't changed since she had received his powers. He could see her body tense as it went into fight or flight mode, despite the fact that she would be the protector of Clark, his Dad and his Mom.

XXXXXXXXXX

There it was. There was the monster that had nearly killed Chloe...that had slaughtered her friends.

She couldn't help the bile that rose in her throat from the intense fear she felt. It didn't matter that she was stronger and faster. The monster wasn't natural, and her instincts knew it. The thing was capable of so much damage that Chloe still felt the need to flee from it. It was closing the distance from the field to the barn quicker than she would've liked, and she knew she had to do something or Clark and his Dad would be its next victims.

And Chloe couldn't bear to have that on her conscience as well.

Clark's eyes were wide and terrified, and she wondered for a fleeting second if she had looked like that to him when he had been the "hero", if she had looked that vulnerable and helpless.

_I'd give anything to be that again_. She didn't like the responsibilities that she now carried with her, even when she was in danger. Chloe felt...knew that she didn't matter. If she had the power to help, then she would do it.

Even if she didn't want to. Even if it meant she would fight to the death.

"Come on!" she yelled as they stumbled past her, panting. She knew that she would need to stand between the thing and her friends.

Chloe took a deep breath as the thing drew nearer and flashed a quick smile to Clark, who was bent over behind her, hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath, "Here goes," she said to him, unable to keep the quiver out of her voice.

Then, she turned back to the monster and sped toward it. She was in front of it in less than a second, and it stopped as she confronted it. The thing drew itself up to its full height, and Chloe had a sickening feeling of deja vu as she craned her neck to look up at the thing.

_How in the Hell am I going to do this_? She thought as the monster threw an arm back to swing at her with bone-crushing swiftness.

Then, as quickly as she thought it, she knew. She took a step inward, ignoring the vague nausea that began in her stomach, grabbed its raised arm and brought it down quickly, pausing just long enough to throw her elbow into the thing's face. It stumbled back and emitted a deep, agonized roar. The sickness subsided as the distance was widened between her and the thing, but she didn't hesitate to close it again as she stepped in again and punched the thing's chest as hard as she could. The monster fell beck and landed on the ground with a resounding thud, and she couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of satisfaction.

_Damn right_.

But then, the thing was up just as quickly as it had fallen, and this time it seemed to be sweating some kind of thick, light green substance. It covered its black skin, creating the sensation that it was wearing armor. She had a flashback of the night she had encountered it. It had looked shiny, just as it was now.

_Oh no. _

The sickness was back, except this time, it was as strong as it had been the first time she had met the thing. Chloe felt paralyzed by the nausea that threatened to bring her to her knees, and she hunched over slightly, groaning painfully.

She felt the monster's presence above her, but she could only look up as it brought another arm down to hit her square in the back. Thankfully it hadn't used it's claws, but she still saw stars as she collapsed with a grunt.

"No! Chloe!" Clark's voice was the only thing she was able to concentrate on.

The nausea was creeping into every part of her body now, and she was finding it harder to even stay conscious.

_Somebody_... she thought as she writhed on the ground, agonized.

Then she realized through the fuzziness that she was the hero. She was the one doing the protecting. If anything, she was leaving Clark and his Dad open for attack by being put out of commission.

With a small burst of strength at the last thought, she rolled away from the thing's claws as they swung down again. It was certainly the slowest monster she had ever encountered, and for that Chloe was grateful. As soon as the pain became bearable, she was up and reviewing her options.

_Come on Chloe, think_.

The thing lurched at her again, and Chloe panicked. She had no idea how she was going to kill the mutant. Every time she got close enough to do some damage, the sickness from it's sweat made her want to throw up every organ in her body.

And she didn't doubt that it could happen if she got sick enough.

Then, she caught sight of the fence posts behind the thing. They were long and thick, perfect for whaling on something.

_Sweet_.

She sped around it and was pulling up a fence post even as it was beginning to turn around to meet her. The thing had nothing going for it but strength and...scariness. It seemed as if it didn't even have a mind. It was guided by instinct and nothing more.

It kind of made it easy to outsmart the thing.

As soon as she had the post in her hands and was set to swing, however, the thing turned away from her and toward Clark and his Dad. They were helpless, and both of them backed up a few steps and distanced themselves from one another as it began to stomp toward them.

"No!" she yelled at it as it closed the distance quickly. The thing didn't even acknowledge her, and Chloe grew even angrier as she followed it. It had lost interest in her completely when it had realized that she would put up a fight.

"Clark, Mr. Kent, run!" she shouted, and they complied. She watched as both took off in opposite directions, and the thing chose to follow Clark.. It reached out toward him and swiped, and he yelled. Chloe put on a burst of speed, and she was behind the monster in a fraction of a second. Before it knew what was going on, she swung the post as hard as she possibly could into its back. The wood broke in two as it connected, and the thing roared in agony as it was thrown forward a good twenty feet. It landed heavily on it's back and lay still for a few seconds, and Chloe took advantage of the reprieve to speed past it where Clark was standing breathlessly.

"Are you okay?" she asked as he panted.

His hair was wet from sweat, and he wiped his forehead as he stood up straight, "Yeah, I'm okay," then, Clark sighed, "I don't think I'll ever get used to this."

Chloe knew what he meant, but she didn't answer. Instead, she took a few steps toward the thing cautiously, not really sure what to do. She could tell it was still breathing by the motion of it's chest, and so she kept her distance. She could still feel the nausea from the kryptonite running through its body, but it was bearable.

"So what do we do with-,"

Her question was halted as the thing rolled to its feet with a growl, and Chloe began to set her stance for another round. It didn't attack again, only hesitated, and then took off across the field in a quick lope. It had been defeated this time.

Chloe started to follow it, but Clark's hand on her arm stopped her, "Chloe, don't."

"I have to, Clark. It might kill someone else."

"But..." he stopped, puzzled, as he reached around to his back. His hand came back with blood on it, and Chloe forgot about the thing completely as she gasped.

"Son, you're bleeding," Jonathon was behind Clark, and his brows were drawn together in concern.

Chloe took a few steps around Clark and frowned when she saw the long streak of blood that ran across his back. The thing had gotten a claw into him, and she winced as the blood began to flow a little freely.

"I thought I felt something."

Chloe looked at Clark as he said it, but didn't say anything as Jonathon began to lead him to the house.

Jonathon shook his head as they walked, "I'm just glad your mother wasn't here to see this."

Chloe silently agreed, because that would've been one more person she would've had to protect.


End file.
